LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Ciiap. Copjmght No. 



Shelf. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



\ 



COCHEM'S 

EXPLANATION OF THE 

» - 

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 



WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING DEVOTIONS FOR MASS, 
FOR CONFESSION, AND FOR COMMUNION. 

WITH A PREFACE 

By right rev. CAMILLUS P. MAES, D.D., 

BISHOP OF COVINGTON, 



-> 



^ 




"*'"'•%,. 'B^'^ 



6 x^y 



NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO : 

BENZIQER BROTHERS, 

Printers to the Holy Apostolic See, 
1896. 







mtbd ©batat 

THOS. L. KINKEAD, 

Censor Librorum, 

irmprtmatut» 

4-MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, 

Archbishop of New York, 

.Njew York, /une 24, 1896. 



Copyright, 1896, by Benziger Bjiqthers. 



PREFACE. 



Having suggested the translation of Father Martin 
Cochem^s excellent book on the Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass, it seems fitting that I should comply with the Pub- 
lishers' request and introduce it to the American public. 

This is a very old-fashioned book ; a book written 
with that sturdy faith and solid devotional feeling which 
knows no doubt, and acknowledges God's best work 
with a thankful heart. It will be refreshing reading to 
our nineteenth-century public, the majority of which 
lives and acts as if God were not nigh unto us and His 
saving Sacrifice were not the real immolation of His 
body and the actual spilling of His blood. In these 
days oC material wonders, we believe in the supernatural 
life of the Church just as a spoiled child believes in the 
love of its parents, viz., we take it for granted, and do 
not bother about it. Some men believe only in a gen- 
eral, abstract way, and go to Mass as a man without 
appetite goes to the table at the dinner hour — because it 
is customary. 

To bring home to all the divine reality of the incom- 
prehensible Eucharistic act which the Lord Jesus Christ 
daily reproduces through the ministry of His priests, let 
us recall, in the words of the Catechism of the Council 
pf Trent, the doctrine which all believing Catholics have 

iii 



iv Preface, 

to accept as of faith, relying on our pious author to stir 
up all the more successfully the generous belief of the 
heart. 

" Of all the sacred mysteries bequeathed to us by Our 
Lord as unfailing sources of grace, there is none that 
can be compared to the Most Holy Sacrament of the 
Eucharist."* 

The circumstances of its institution by Our Lord Jesus 
Christ Himself are recorded in the gospels and in the 
inspired writings of St. Paul. 

" The Eucharist was instituted by Our Lord for two 
great purposes : to be the celestial food of our soul, pre- 
serving and supporting spiritual life ; and to give to the 
Church a perpetual sacrifice, by which sin may be ex- 
piated and our heavenly Father, Whom our crimes have 
often grievously offended, may be turned from wrath to 
mercy, from the severity of just vengeance to the exer- 
cise of benignest clemency." 

" The Sacrifice of the MaSs is one and the same sacri- 
fice with that of the cross : the Victim is one and the 
same, Christ Jesus, Who offered Himself, once only, a 
bloody sacrifice on the altar of the cross. The bloody 
and unbloody Victim is still one and the same, and the 
oblation of the cross is daily renewed in the Eucharistic 
Sacrifice, in obedience to the command of the Lord : 
^ This do for a commemoration of Me.' f The priest is 
also the same — Christ our Lord ; the ministers who offer 
this sacrifice consecrate the holy mysteries not in their 
own but in the person of Christ. This the words of con- 
secration declare ; the priest does not say : This is the 
body of Christ, but, * This is My body'; and thus in- 
vested with the character of Christ, he changes the sub- 

*Catech. of the Counc. of Trent. Part II., Of the Sacrament of 
the Eucharist. 

f Luke xxii. 19; i Cor. xi. 24. 



Preface. V 

stance of the bread and wine into the substance of His 
real body and blood. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, 
therefore, is not only a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiv- 
ing, or a commemoration of the Sacrifice of the Cross ; 
but also a sacrifice of propitiation, by which God is 
appeased and rendered propitious/* * 

This is a mysterious and awe-inspiring teaching, even 
to the pious believer. Nor does the Catholic wonder at 
the hesitating surprise of our non-Catholic Christian 
brethren who, having been ruthlessly deprived of the 
life-giving mysteries of Christ, ignorantly believe that the 
Mass is a mediaeval innovation. 

For their instruction, as well as for the information of 
our own people, we here reproduce from the Apostolical 
Constitutions the ceremonies attending the celebration of 
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as prescribed by the 
apostles themselves on the occasion of the consecration 
of a bishop. When we have called attention to the fact 
that these writings are acknowledged to be, at the very 
latest, of the third century of the Christian era y f that the 
translation here given is the work of a Protestant clergy- 
man who, with the most learned Protestant authorities, 
acknowledges the genuineness of the original documents 
—we have given, even to our non-Catholic friends, the 
most evident proofs which the most exacting and fas- 
tidious critics could demand, for the existence of a 
Christian priesthood ordained for the purpose of offering 
sacrifice, and of the divine origin of the Holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass. 

The conclusion is rigorous and self-evident. A min- 
istry which does not offer to Almighty God the Sacrifice 

*Catech. Counc. of Trent. Part II. 

f The learned Bunsen claims that the Seventh Book, from which 
we are to quote, was written not later than the first half of the 
second century. 



vi Preface, 

of the Mass Is not a genuine ministry^ is not the priest- 
hood of Christ. A Christian Church which does not 
recognize the laying on of hands on men set apart to 
offer sacrifice, and which does not practise that essential 
act of Christian worship, the Sacrifice of the Mass, is not 
the true Church of Jesus Christ. 

We shall copy only the main features, textually, how- 
ever, of this apostolical rite, requesting our readers to 
compare it with the prayers and ceremonies of the Mass 
to be found in any modern Catholic prayer-book. Those 
who wish to read it in its entirety will find it in the Afite- 
Nicene Christian Library^ vol. xvii., page 212.* For 
the facility, of reference and comparison we shall divide 
the text into paragraphs corresponding to the usual way 
of printing the various parts of the Mass in the missals 
of the laity. 

" After the prayer [of consecration of the new bishop] 
let one of the bishops elevate the Sacrifice upon the hands 
of him that is ordained, • . . . 

Introit, Collects, Epistle, and Gospel. 

And after the reading of the Law, the Prophets, and 
our Epistles, and Acts and the Gospels, let him that is 
ordained salute the Churchy saying : The grace of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Father, and 
the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. And 
let them answer : And with thy spirit. 

Sermon. 

And after these words let him speak to the people the 
words of exhortation. [Then follows the dismissal, so 
well known in the early Church, of unbelievers, the in- 
struction and dismissal of the catechumens, energumens^ 

*T. & J. Clark, Edinburgh, 1880. 



Preface, vii 

they that are to be illuminated, and penitents. The 
bishop then prays and salutes the congregation, saying :] 
The peace of God be with you all. And let the people 
answer : And with thy spirit. 

Offertory. 

Let us stand upright before the Lord with fear and 
trembling to offer. When this is done let the deacons bring 
the gifts to the bishop at the altar; and let the presbyters 
stand at his right handy and on his left, as disciples stand 
before their master. 

Let the high priest^ therefore^ together with the priests^ 
pray over the oblation^ that the Holy Spirit may descend 
upon it, making the bread the body of Christ and the cup the 
blood of Christ j * and prayers being endedy let him put on his 
shining garment ^ and stand at the altar ^ and make the sign 
of the cross upon his forehead with his hand^ and say : 

The grace of Almighty God and the love of Our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be 
with you all. 

And let all with one voice say : And with thy spirit. 

The Preface. 

The high priest : Lift up your mind. 

All the people : We lift it up unto the Lord. 

The high priest : Let us give thanks to the Lord. 

All the people : It is meet and right to do so. 

Then let the high priest say : It is very meet and right 
before all things to sing a hymn to Thee, Who art the 
true God, Who art before all things, " from Whom the 
whole family in heaven and earth is named,*' f Who only 
art unbegotten, and without beginning, and without a 
ruler; . . . Who didst bring all things out of nothing 

"^Coptic reading. f Ephes. iii. 15. 



viii Preface. 

into being by Thy only-begotten Son, God the Word, the 
living Wisdom, " the first-born of every creature, the 
Angel of Thy great counsel,'' * and Thy High Priest, but 
the King and Lord of every intellectual and sensible 
nature, Who was before all things, by Whom were all 
things. . . . For all these things, 'glory be to Thee, O 
Lord Almighty. Thee do the innumerable hosts 
of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, 
authorities, and powers. Thine everlasting armies, adore. 
The cherubim and the six-winged seraphim, ... to- 
gether with thousand thousands of archangels, and ten 
thousand times ten thousand of angels f incessantly, and 
with constant and loud voices, and let all the people say 
it with them : 

Sanctus. 

Holy, holy, holy. Lord of hosts, heaven and earth are 
full of His glory : Be Thou blessed for ever. Amen. 

And afterwards let the high priest say : For Thou art 
truly holy, and most holy, the highest and most highly 
exalted forever. Holy also is Thy only begotten Son, 
our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. . . 

Canon. 

He [Jesus Christ] was pleased by Thy good will to 
become man. Who was man*s Creator ; to be under the 
laws. Who was Legislator ; to be a sacrifice. Who was an 
High Priest ; to be a sheep, Who was a Shepherd. And 
He appeased Thee, His God and Father, and reconciled 
Thee to the world, and freed all men from the wrath to 
come, and was made of a Virgin, Who was in flesh, being 
God the Word, the beloved Son, the first-born of the 
whole creation ; . . . and He was made in the womb of a 
Virgin, Who formed all mankind that are born into the 

* Col. i. 15 ; Is. ix. 6. f Dan. vii. 10. 



Preface, ix 

world ; He took flesh, Who was without flesh ; He Who 
was begotten before time, was born in time ; He lived 
holily and taught according to the law ; . . . He fin- 
ished the work which Thou gavest Him to do ; . . . He 
was delivered to Pilate the governor, and He that was 
the Judge was judged ; and He that was the Saviour was 
condemned ; He that was impassible was nailed to the 
cross ; and He Who was by nature immortal died ; and 
He that is the giver of life was buried ; . . . He arose 
from the dead the third day ; . . . He was taken up into 
the heavens, and is sat down on the right hand of Thee, 
Who art His God and Father. 

Being mmdful, therefore, of those things that He en- 
dured for our sakes, we give Thee thanks, O God Al- 
mighty, not in such manner as we ought, but as we are 
able, and fulfil His constitution. 

Consecration. 

" For in the same night that He was betrayed. He took 
bread"* in His holy and undefiled hands, and looking 
up to Thee, His God and Father, '* He broke it, and gave 
it to His disciples, saying : This is the mystery of the 
New Covenant ; take of it and eat. 

This is My Body^ 
which is broken for many for the remission of sins.'* f 

In like manner also " He took the cup " and mixed it 
of wine and water, and sanctified it, and delivered it to 
them, saying : " Drink ye all of this, for 

This is My Blood 

which is shed for many, for the remission of sins : Do 
this in remembrance of Me. For as often as ye eat this 
bread and drink this cup, ye do show forth My death 
until I come.'* 

* I Cor. xi. f Matt. xxvi. ; Mark xiv. ; Luke xxii. 



k Preface. 

After the Elevation. 
Being mindful, therefore, of His passion, and death, and 
resurrection from the dead and return into the heavens, and 
His future second appearing, wherein He is to come with 
glory and power to judge the quick and the dead, and 
to recompense every one according to his works, we offer 
to Thee, our King and God, according to His constitu- 
tion, this bread and this cup, giving Thee thanks, through 
Him, that Thou hast thought us worthy to stand before 
Thee, and to sacrifice to Thee ; and we beseech Thee 
that Thou wilt mercifully look down upon these gifts 
which are here set before Thee, Thou God, Who standest 
in need of none of our offerings. And do Thou accept 
them, to the honor of Thy Christ, and send down upon 
this sacrifice Thine Holy Spirit, the witness of the Lord 
Jesus' sufferings, that He may show this bread to be the 
body of Thy Christ, and the cup to be the blood of Thy 
Christ, that those who are partakers thereof may be 
strengthened for piety, may obtain the remission of their 
sins, may be delivered from the devil and his deceits, 
may be filled with the Holy Ghost, may be made worthy 
of Thy Christ, and may obtain eternal life upon Thy re- 
conciliation to Them, O Lord Almighty. We further pray 
unto Thee, O Lord, for Thy Holy Church spread from 
one end of the world to another, which Thou hast pur- 
chased with the precious blood of Thy Christ, that Thou 
wilt preserve it unshaken and free from disturbance until 
the end of the world, for every episcopate who rightly 
divides the word of truth . . . ; and let all the people 
say : Amen. 

Lord, I am not worthy. 

Sanctify our body and soul, and grant us the favor to 
be "made pure from all filthiness of flesh and spirit,"* 

^11 Cor. vii. I. 



Preface, xi 

and may obtain the good things laid up for us ; and do 
not account any of us unworthy, but be Thou our com- 
forter, helper, and protector, through Thy Christ, with 
Whom glory, praise, and thanksgiving be to Thee and to 
the Holy Ghost forever. Amen. 

And after all have said : Amen, let the deacon say : Let 
us attend. 

Before Communion. 

And let the bishop speak thus to the people : Holy things 
for holy persons. And let the people answer : There is 
one that is holy ; there is one Lord, one Jesus Christ, 
blessed forever, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. 

" Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace, 
good-will among men. Hosanna to the Son of David ! 
Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord,*' 
being the Lord God Who appeared to us. " Hosanna in 
the highest ! " * 

Communion. 

And after that let the bishop partake, then the pres- 
byters and deacons^ . . . and all the people in order ^ with 
reverence and godly fear. . . . And let the bishop give the 
oblation^ saying : The body of Christ. And let him that 
receiveth say : Amen. And let the deacon take the cup, and 
when he gives it say : The blood of Christ, the cup of life ; 
and let him that drinketh, say : Amen. 

Post Communion. 

And when all have partaken . . .let the deacon say : 
Now we have received the precious body and the pre- 
cious blood of Christ, let us give thanks to Him Who 
has thought us worthy to partake of these His holy mys- 
teries, and let us beseech Hira that it may not be to us 
for condemnation, but for salvation, to the advantage of 

* Luke ii. 14; Matt. xxi. 9. 



xii Preface » 

soul and body, to the preservation of piety, to the re- 
mission of sins, and to the life of the world to come. . . . 

The Blessing. 

Let the deacon say : Bow down to God through His 
Christ, and receive the blessing. And let the bishop add 
this prayer^ and say : O God Almighty, the true God, 
. . . be gracious to me and hear me for Thy name's 
sake, and bless those that bow down their necks unto 
Thee, and grant them the petitions of their hearts, etc. 
For to Thee belongs the glory, praise, majesty, worship, 
and adoration, and to Thy Son Jesus, Thy Christ, our 
Lord and God and King, and to the Holy Ghost, now 
and always, forever and ever. Amen. 

Ite, Missa Est. 

And the deacon shall say : Depart in peace. 

These constitutions concerning this mystical worship, 
we, the Apostles, so ordain for you, the bishops, pres- 
byters, and deacons. 

In this fashion the Apostles Peter and John, James 
and Andrew, and Paul celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of 
the Mass, and expressed, in the most forcible and sol- 
emn language that man can utter, their belief in the real 
presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, 

Gentle reader, say with Peter : " Lord, to whom shall 
we go ? Thou alone hast the words of eternal life ! " 

Believe ! And that your prayer and mine, " O Lord ! 
strengthen Thou my faith ! " be heard, read the book 
now thrust into thy hand with a request for a memento 
at the Holy Sacrifice. 

►f Camillus Paul Maes, 

Bishop of Covington, 

Covington, Ky., 
Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1896. 



NOTICE. 



T^HE writer of this book, the Rev. Father Martin von 
Cochem, of the Capuchin Order, is the author of 
several other erudite and edifying spiritual treatises, both 
in Latin and German. Not one of these, however, ac- 
cording to the opinion expressed at the time of their 
publication by his superiors, is equal in learning and in 
practical usefulness to his Explanation of the Holy 
Mass, which is compiled from the teaching of the holy 
Catholic Church, of the early fathers, of contemporary 
theologians and spiritual writers. It is, moreover, written 
in an agreeable and impressive manner, and the perusal 
of it cannot fail to give the reader a better acquaintance 
with the nature of the Mass, to inflame him with devo- 
tion for it, and greatly to increase his desire to lose no 
opportunity of celebrating the Holy Sacrifice or assist- 
ing at it, as the case may be. 

Father Martin von Cochem was born at Cochem, on 
the Moselle, in the year 1625, and died at Waghausel in 
17 1 2. Well-nigh two hundred years have now elapsed 
since his Explanation of the Holy Mass was first pub- 
lished. God alone knows how much good it has done to 
countless numbers of the faithful. Now, if at that time 
a book of this description was greatly wanted to bring 
Christians back to the true well-spring of grace, the right 
form of divine worship, the need for it is even more 

xiii 



xiv Notice, 

urgent in the present day, since, under existing circum- 
stances. Catholics are exposed to still greater dangers 
than they then were, both in regard to faith and prac- 
tice. The holy sacrifice of the Mass is, as Father 
V. Cochem rightly says, an inexhaustible treasury, whence 
we all, sinners as well as just, may draw the riches we 
stand in want of. It is the fount of which we all must 
drink if we would remain steadfast in the practice of 
virtue or be purged from our sins. But who can ap- 
preciate aright, or make any use of, that of which he 
knows nothing ? Wherefore it is to be desired above all 
things in our own day to make the inestimable treasures 
that lie hidden in the holy Mass more widely known; 
and no better means of doing this can be found than by 
placing within the reach of all this Explanation of the 
Holy Mass, by Father Martin von Cochem. 

It is sincerely hoped that by the blessing of God this 
new issue may be for the consolation, edification, and 
eternal salvation of countless souls. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Preface iii 

Notice xiii 

Chapter. 

I. The Nature of Holy Mass ii 

The Attacks Made by Heretics upon the Holy 

Sacrifice of the Mass 19 

II. The Excellence of Holy Mass 25 

The Dedication of Churches 26 

The Manner of Conferring Holy Orders 33 

The Great High Priest of the New Testament 41 

The Costliness of the Oblation Made in Holy 

Mass 48 

III. The Mysteries of Holy Mass 55 

Seventy-seven Graces and Fruits to be Derived 
from Devout Attendance at Holy Mass 66 

IV. In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Incarna- 

tion 72 

V. In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity. . 81 
The Joy Caused in Heaven and the Blessings 
Brought to Earth by the Renewal of Christ's 

Nativity 89 

VI. In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Life on 

Earth 98 

VII. In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Interces- 
sion • 105 

XV 



xvi Contents. 

Chapter page 

VIII. In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Pas- 
sion 114 

The Reason Why Christ Renews His Passion 

in Holy Mass 122 

IX. In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His 

Death 129 

X. In the Holy Mass Christ's Blood-shedding 

is Renewed 137 

The Manner in which the Blood of Christ is 

Sprinkled upon Us in Holy Mass 142 

The Manner in which the Precious Blood Inter- 
cedes for Us 147 

XI. Holy Mass is the Most Excellent Burnt- 
offering 154 

XII. Holy Mass is the Most Sublime Sacrifice of 

Praise 161 

XIII. Holy Mass is the Noblest Sacrifice of Thanks- 

giving 170 

XIV. Holy Mass is the Most Efficacious Sacrifice 

OF Propitiation 176 

. XV. Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-offer- 
ing 186 

The Manner in which Holy Mass Effects the 
Forgiveness of Sin and the Conversion of 

Hardened Sinners 195 

By Means of Holy Mass Venial Sins are Blotted 

Out 202 

XVI. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the Most 

Complete Satisfaction for Sin 208 

The Amount of Temporal Punishment that can 

be Cancelled by one Mass 212 

XVII. Holy Mass is the Most Sublime Work of the 

Holy Ghost 218 

XVIII. Holy Mass Affords the Sweetest Joy to the 

Mother of God and to the Saints 226 

Holy Mass is the Sweetest Joy of the Saints .... 231 
XIX. Holy Mass is of the Greatest Benefit to the 

Faithful '. 235 

XX. Holy Mass Procures for Us an Increase of 

Grace Here and of Glory Hereafter 243 



Contents, 



XVI 1 



Chapter page 

Holy Mass Increases the Celestial Glory 

which shall be Our Portion 251 

Spiritual Communion 254 

XXI. Holy Mass is the Most Sure Hope of the 

Dying *. 258 

XXII. Holy Mass is the Unfailing Succor of the 

Departed 269 

XXIII. The Manner and the Measure in which the 

Priest and the Angels Pray for Those 

Who are Present at Holy Mass 278 

Whether All Masses are of Equal Value 284 

How the Angels Pray for us during Holy 
Mass 285 

XXIV. Holy Mass does not Hinder Our Work, but 

Helps Us with It 289 

XXV. Great Merit is Gained by Offering Mass in 

a Right Manner 297 

The Infinite Value of the Victim Offered to 

God in Holy Mass 303 

XXVI. Some Practical Hints Concerning the Way 
of Hearing Several Masses at One and 

the Same Time 309 

XXVII. An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily. . 317 
The Example of the Saints is an Incentive 

to Hear Holy Mass Daily 323 

XXVIII. An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass De- 
voutly 330 

XXIX. The Devotions to be Practised at the Ele- 
vation 339 

What Our Behavior Ought to be after the 

Consecration 345 

XXX. The Reverence wherewith We Ought to 

Hear Holy Mass 348 

XXXI. The Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what 

THEY Signify 353 

APPENDIX. 

Devotions for Mass 371 

First Method of Hearing Mass : For Those Who Wish 

to Unite Their Prayers with Those of the Priest.. 371 



xviii Contents, 

PAGE 

Second Method : Of which the Principal Mysteries of 

the Holy Sacrifice Form the Subject 382 

Third Method: In Honor of Our Lord's Bitter Passion. 392 
Fourth Method: For a Mass Offered on Behalf of the 

Poor Souls 401 

Devotions for Confession 410 

Before Confession 410 

After Confession 413 

Devotions for Communion 416 

Before Holy Communion 416 

After Holy Communion 418 

Prayers to Gain a Plenary Indulgence 422 

1. For the Exaltation of the Catholic Church 422 

2. For the Conversion of Unbelievers, Heretics, and 

Sinners 423 

3. For Concord amongst Christian Princes 423 

4. An Offering of the Indulgence for the Souls in 

Purgatory 424 



EXPLANATION 



OF THE 



HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE NATURE OF HOLY MASS. 

nPHE holy Mass is called in Latin sacrificium^ a sacri- 
fice, by which word a thing far greater and higher 
than an offering is signified. A sacrifice, in its full and 
proper signification, is an offering external to ourselves, 
made to the most high God, and consecrated or hal- 
lowed in a solemn manner by a lawfully appointed and 
duly qualified minister of the Church, to recognize and 
testify to the supreme dominion of Almighty God over 
all creatures. From this definition it will be seen that a 
sacrifice is much more than a simple offering. It repre- 
sents a lofty and sublime act of worship, due to the infi- 
nite God alone, and not to any creature; 

That this solemn sacrifice may be offered to none 
other but God alone is proved by St. Augustine from 
the universal custom of all nations. Who, he says, has 
ever been found to assert that sacrifice should be offered 
to any one save the true God only, or to such false 



12 The Nature of Holy Mass, 

deities as are wrongfully held to be the true God ? And 
in another place he says: The devil would not require 
sacrifices from his votaries if he did not know this to be 
a prerogative of the divinity. Many of the great and 
powerful ones of the earth have arrogated to themselves 
other acts of homage which are of right paid to God 
alone; but few indeed have presumed to command that 
sacrifice should be offered to them. Those who did 
this desired to be regarded as gods. Hence it may be 
seen that the offering of sacrifice is an act of divine 
worship, which it is not fitting to pay to men, to the 
saints, or to the angels, but to God alone. 

St. Thomas of Aquin says: " It is natural to mankind 
to make sacrificial offerings to the omnipotent God, and 
man is incited thereto by a natural instinct without an 
express command or special injunction. This we see 
exemplified in the case of Abel, Noe, Abraham, Job, and 
other patriarchs, who offered sacrifice, not in obedience 
to the law of God, but to the mere impulse of nature. 
And not only did those persons who were enlightened 
by God offer sacrifices to Him: the heathen also, simply 
following the light of nature, sacrificed to their idols, 
believing them to be true deities. In later times the 
law given by God to the children of Israel made it 
obligatory upon them to offer sacrifice to Him daily; on 
feasts a more elaborate ceremonial was to be observed. 
They were to offer to Him lambs, sheep, calves, and 
oxen; and these animals were not to be offered only, 
they were to be immolated by an anointed priest, with 
certain prayers and ceremonies. They were to be 
slaughtered, flayed, their blood was to be poured round 
about on the altar, and their flesh burnt upon the altar, 
amid the blowing of trumpets and chanting of psalms. 
These were the sacred oblations whereby the Jews were 
wont to pay to God the homage due to Him, and ac- 



The Nature of Holy Mass, 13 

knowledge Him to be the supreme Ruler over all 
creatures. 

Inasmuch as the idea of sacrifice is so deeply rooted 
in human nature that all peoples and nations, besides 
serving God with prayers, hymns, almsgiving, and works 
of penance, offered some kind of sacrifice whereby they 
honored the true God or the false deities they venerated 
as such, it was meet, nay, it was even necessary, that 
Christ should institute in His Church a holy and divine 
oblation as a visible service, whereby the faithful should 
give to God the glory which is His due, and express 
their own subjection to Him. No sensible man could 
imagine that Christ, Who ordained everything in His 
Church in the most perfect manner, should have omitted 
this highest act of worship, and left it wanting in so all- 
important a matter. Were it so, the Christian religion 
would be inferior to Judaism, for the sacrifices of the 
Old Testament were so glorious that heathens of dis- 
tinction came from distant lands to assist at them, and 
some heathen kings, as we read in Machabees (11. iii. 3), 
even paid out of their revenues the charges belonging to 
the ministry. 

The holy Catholic Church, in the CEcumenical Coun- 
cil of Trent, teaches us what manner of sacrifice or 
sacred oblation Christ has given to and ordained in His 
Church. 

" Forasmuch as, under the former Testament, accord- 
ing to the testimony of the apostle Paul, there was 
no perfection, because of the weakness of the Levitical 
priesthood (Heb. vii. 11, 18), there was need, God, the 
Father of mercies, so ordaining, that another priest 
should rise, according to the order of Melchisedech, Our 
Lord Jesus Christ, who might consummate and lead to 
what is perfect as many as were to be sanctified. He, 
therefore, our God and Lord, though He was about to 



14 The Nature of Holy Mass. 

offer Himself once on the altar of the cross unto God 
the Father, by means of His death, there to operate an 
eternal redemption ; nevertheless, because that His 
priesthood was tiOt to be extinguished by His death, in 
the Last Supper, on the night in which He was betrayed 
— that He might leave to His own beloved spouse, the 
Church, a visible sacrifice, such as the nature of man 
requires, whereby that bloody sacrifice, once to be ac- 
complished on the cross, might be represented, and the 
memory thereof remain even unto the end of the world, 
and its salutary virtue be applied to the remission of 
those sins which we daily commit — declaring Himself 
constituted a priest forever, according to the order of 
Melchisedech, He offered up to God the Father His own 
body and blood under the species of bread and wine; 
and under the symbols of those same things He de- 
livered His own body and blood to be received by His 
apostles, whom He then constituted priests of the New 
Testament: and by those words, ^ Do this for a com- 
memoration of Me* (St. Luke xxii. 19), He commanded 
them and their successors in the priesthood to offer 
them; even as the Catholic Church has always under- 
stood and taught." (Session xxii. ch. i.) 

This, and mor-e besides, holy Church teaches us, and 
enjoins upon us to believe that in the Last Supper 
Christ did not only change bread and wine into His 
body and blood: He also offered them up to God the 
Father, and thus instituted and ordained in His own 
person the sacrifice of the new covenant. This He did 
in order to show Himself to be a priest according to the 
order of Melchisedech, of whom Holy Scripture thus 
speaks: "Melchisedech, the King of Salem, brought 
forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most 
high God, and he blessed Abram." (Gen. xiv. 18.) The 
text does not here expressly state that Melchisedech 



The Nature of Holy Mass, 1 5 

offered sacrifice to the most high God; but trom the 
first the Catholic Church has understood this to be 
meant, and the fathers have thus expounded it. David 
himself interprets it thus when he says: "The Lord 
hath sworn, and He will not repent: Thou art a priest 
forever according to the order of Melchisedech." (Ps. 
cix. 4.) That both Christ and Melchisedech offered 
sacrifice is to be inferred from the words of St. Paul, 
writing to the Hebrews: " Every high priest is appointed 
to offer gifts and sacrifices." (Heb. viii. 3.) " Every 
high priest taken from among men is ordained for men 
in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up 
gifts and sacrifices for sins." {Ibid, v. i.) And almost 
immediately after he adds: "Neither doth any man take 
the honor to himself, but he that is called by God, as 
Aaron was. So Christ did not glorify Himself, that 
He might be made a high priest, but He that said unto 
Him : Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. 
. . . Thou art a priest forever according to the order of 
Melchisedech." And again: "And being consummated, 
He became, to all that obey Him, the cause of eternal 
salvation, called by God a high priest according to the 
order of Melchisedech. Of whom we have much to 
•say, and hard to be intelligibly uttered; because you are 
become weak to hear." {Ibid, v. 4-6, 9-1 1.) 

From these passages it is evident that, since Christ 
and Melchisedech were high priests, they both offered 
oblations to the true God. Melchisedech did not sacri- 
fice victims, as did Abraham and the earlier adorers of 
the true God, but, acting by the inspiration of the Holy 
Ghost, and at variance with the custom of the times, he 
sanctified bread and wine with certain prayers and rites, 
raising them aloft, and offering them to God as a holy, 
acceptable offering. Thus he became a type of Jesus 
Christ, and his offering a type of the bloodless sacrifice 



i6 The Nature of Holy Mass, 

of Jesus Christ under the New Testament. Now since 
Christ was not anointed high priest by God the Father 
according to the order or manner of Aaron, who slaugh- 
tered victims, but according to the order of Melchise- 
dech, who presented bread and wine as an oblation, it 
follows that He also exercised His priestly functions 
during His lifetime, and offered to God an oblation of 
bread and wine. 

When, we ask, did Christ exercise His priestly office 
according to the order of Melchisedech? At the Last 
Supper, when He took bread, blessed it, and said to His 
disciples: " Take ye, and eat: This is My body." In 
like manner, taking the chalice with wine, He blessed it, 
and gave it to His disciples, saying: " Drink ye all of this, 
for this is My blood. Do this for a commemoration of 
Me." (St, Matt. xxvi. 26-28; St. Luke xxii. 19.) 

On that occasion, therefore, Christ exercised His 
priestly office after the manner of Melchisedech. For if 
He did not do so then He never did so at all through- 
out His whole life, and in that case He would not have 
been a priest according to the order of Melchisedech. 
And yet in what exalted language St. Paul describes His 
priesthood: ^* The others indeed, were made priests 
without an oath, but this with an oath, by Him that said 
unto Him: The Lord hath sworn, and He will not re- 
pent: Thou art a priest forever. . . . But this, for that 
He continueth forever, hath an everlasting priesthood." 
(Heb. vii. 20, 21, 24.) Hence we see the truth of what 
the Catholic Church teaches in the Council of Trent: 
" In the Last Supper He offered up to God the Father 
His own body and blood under the species of bread and 
wine; and commanded His apostles and their succes- 
sors in the priesthood to offer them under these sym- 
bols when He said: Do this for a commemoration of 
Me; even as the Catholic Church has always understood 



The Nature of Holy Mass, 17 

and taught. And this is indeed that clean oblation 
which cannot be defiled by any unworthiness or malice 
of those that offer it, which the Lord foretold by Mala- 
chias was to be offered in every place clean to His name/' 
(Session xxii. ch. i.) 

The offering of this clean oblation was predicted by 
the prophet Malachias in the following words : " I have 
no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts ; and I will 
not receive a gift of your hand. For from the rising of 
the sun even to the going down My name is great 
among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, 
and there is offered to My name a clean offering." 
(Malach. i. 10, 11.) All the fathers of the Church con- 
sider this passage to refer to the sacrifice of the Mass. 
For this prophecy does not find its fulfilment in the Old 
Testament, but in the New, wherein are also fulfilled the 
words which were spoken by God the Father to His Son : 
" Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask 
of Me, and I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy inheri- 
tance." (Ps. ii. 7, 8.) This was accomplished when the 
heathen were converted to the faith by the preaching of 
the apostles. The sacrifice here predicted by Malachias 
cannot be that which was offered by Christ on the cross, 
as non-Catholics assert; for that was made in one place 
only, on Calvary, not in every place, as the prophet de- 
clares. Nor can the supposition be entertained that the 
prophecy refers to a sacrifice of praise or of good works, 
for these are no oblation in the proper sense of the 
word, nor are they always a clean oblation; as the 
prophet says: " All our justices are before Thee as a 
filthy rag." (Is. Ixiv. 6.) 

This prophecy is consequently to be understood as 
expressly referring to the holy Mass as the one only and 
true sacrifice of the New Testament; an oblation in it- 
self perfectly pure and holy, which is offered up to God 



1 8 The Nature of Holy Mass, 

the Father in all times and in all places by Christ Him- 
self through the instrumentality of His priests. Christ 
is the chief High Priest, our priests are but His servants, 
and He makes use of their hands and their lips for the 
offering of a material sacrifice. It is because Christ in 
His glorified body is not perceptible to our senses, it 
being at the same time necessary that there should be a 
visible victim seen by mortal eyes, that He employs 
the cooperation of the priest in offering up His sacrifice. 
This oblation will continue to be offered until the end of 
the world. 

It is alleged against us as a reproach by non-Catholics 
that the word Mass is not found in the Bible. This is 
unquestionably true, but the same may be said of the 
word Trinity, yet we are bound to believe that sacred 
mystery. We are not commanded by Holy Scripture to 
sanctify Sunday or to baptize infants, yet we know both 
one and the other to be our solemn duty. In the writ- 
ings of the early popes and doctors of the Church we 
frequently meet with the word Mass; witness the writ- 
ings of St. Clement, the third successor of St. Peter, and 
those of Popes Evarist and Alexander, who lived in the 
first century. St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Chrysos- 
tom, and other holy fathers of the Church, make use of 
the word Mass when speaking of the sacrifice of the 
New Testament. St. Ambrose writes: " I remained at 
my post, commenced saying Mass, and during the sacri- 
fice I besought Almighty God to come to our assistance.'* 
St. Augustine says: "We see, in the lections which are 
ordered to be read in the holy Mass," etc. Both these 
doctors of the Church, who lived three hundred years 
after Christ, employ the word Mass, which shows that it 
was certainly in common use at that time. 

That the apostles were in the habit of saying Mass we 
learn from Holy Scripture and the lives of the apostles. 



the Nature of Holy Mass, 19 

St. Matthew was stabbed at the altar whilst offering the 
holy sacrifice. Tradition relates of St. Andrew that he 
said to the judge: " I offer daily to the Almighty God 
upon the altar not the flesh of oxen or the blood of 
goats, but the spotless Lamb of God." Liturgies for the 
Mass composed by the apostles St. James and St. Mark 
are still extant. The Canon of the Mass is ascribed to 
St. Peter, and other parts were added by some other 
holy popes. From all that has been said it follows that 
Mass was celebrated in the Church from the very be- 
ginning, and that it has at all times been regarded as the 
true sacrifice of the New Testament. 



THE ATTACKS MADE BY HERETICS UPON THE HOLY 
SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 

The persecutions which the evil enemy has stirred up 
at various times against the most holy sacrifice of the 
Mass are a proof how sacred a thing it must be, and 
how obnoxious to the devil; otherwise he would not at- 
tack it with such violence. In the first ten centuries of 
the Christian Church teachers of heresy were indeed not 
wanting, but none of them ventured to assail the Mass, 
much less did they attempt to do away with it. The 
heretic Berengarius of Tours was the first who presumed 
to speak and write against the holy Mass. His errone- 
ous teaching was exposed and triumphantly refuted by 
the Catholic theologians of the day; it was, moreover, 
condemned by the General Council of the Church. Be- 
fore his death the unhappy man abjured his errors, and 
ended his days as a repentant son of the Catholic 
Church. 

At the commencement of the twelfth century the im- 
pious Albigenses appeared in France; amongst other 
disgraceful tenets they held marriage to be an unlawful 



20 The Nature of Holy Mass, 

state, and encouraged profligacy. They did, it is true, 
take no exception to the celebration of solemn High 
Mass in the presence of a large assembly of people, but 
they would not tolerate Low Mass, at which but few 
persons assisted. In fact, they prohibited them, under 
pain of fines and imprisonment. In connection with 
these heretics Cesar of Heisterbach, who lived about the 
same time, relates the following incident: 

Although the Albigenses had forbidden priests, under 
heavy penalties, from saying Low Mass, a certain pious 
priest would not allow himself to be deterred by so un- 
just a prohibition from saying Mass privately. When 
this became known, he was arrested and brought before 
the council, who said to him: " Information has reached 
us that, in defiance of our prohibition, you have said a 
Low Mass, and committed a grave offence; we have there- 
fore caused you to be brought before us, to answer for 
yourself whether it is so." The priest instantly replied 
without any sign of fear: " I will answer in the words of 
the holy apostles, who said, when it was inquired of 
them before the Jewish Council whether they had vio- 
lated the law by preaching in the name of Christ, * We 
ought to obey God rather than man/ (Acts v. 29.) 
For this reason, therefore, in spite of your unjust prohi- 
bition, I said Mass to the honor of God and of His 
blessed Mother." The judges, greatly infuriated by 
this bold reply, condemned the pious priest to have his 
tongue torn out in the presence of all the people. The 
priest suffered this cruel sentence with the utmost 
patience; he went straight to the church, his mouth yet 
bleeding, and, kneeling humbly before the altar at which 
he had said Mass, poured out his complaint to the 
Mother of God. Being unable any longer to speak with 
his tongue, he raised his heart to her with all the more 
fervor, entreating her that his tongue might be restored 



The Nature of Holy Mass, 21 

to him. So urgent was his supplication that the blessed 
Mother of God appeared to him, and with her own hand 
replaced his tongue in his mouth, saying that it was given 
back to him for the sake of the honor he had paid to 
God the Lord and to her by saying Mass, and exhorting 
him diligently to make use of it in that manner for the 
future. After returning heartfelt thanks to his benefac- 
tress the priest returned to the assembled people, and 
showed them that his tongue had been given back to 
him, thus putting to confusion the obstinate heretics, 
and all who had displayed hostility to the holy Mass. 

The words of the blessed Father Cesar, in the preface 
to the little book whence this story is taken, allow of no 
doubt as to its truth. " I take God to witness," he 
says, " that I have inserted nothing in this work but 
what I have seen with my own eyes, or heard from the 
lips of men who would sooner die than utter a false- 
hood.'* Wherefore this true story ought to convince all 
who think otherwise that the holy Mass is specially 
pleasing to the most high God. 

From the days of the apostles until the present time 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass has had no more vehement 
opponent than the unhappy Martin Luther, who not 
only attacked but decried this divine mystery. He did 
not do this of himself, nor when he first apostatized, 
but at a later period, and at the instigation of the 
devil. In fact the deluded man himself acknowledges 
in his writings that his teaching comes from the devil, 
and only at the suggestion of the evil one has he abol- 
ished the Mass as an act of idolatry, although he must 
have known full well that the devil is the hater of all 
that is good, and teaches mankind naught but what is 
evil. Besides, Luther might have considered that if the 
Mass were idolatrous the devil would not oppose it, 
much less desire that it should be done away with; on 



22 The Nature of Holy Mass. 

the contrary, he would promote it and praise it, because 
the more Masses were said the more acts of idolatry 
would be committed, and greater dishonor done to the 
most high God. 

In this wise Satan has deprived not the Lutherans 
only, but all the Protestant sects that have arisen after 
him, of the salutary sacrifice of the holy Mass, and 
thereby done them an irreparable injury. In fact he 
has made this sublime mystery so repugnant to them 
that they declare it to be a denial of the sacrifice of the 
cross, and an accursed worshipping of idols, as we read 
in the Heidelberg catechism of the Calvinists. Such 
horrible profanity is enough to fill every pious heart with 
dread, and cause every good Christian to stop his ears. 
We will not devote much time to the refutation of such 
blasphemies; one argument will suffice to overthrow 
them. 

If these heretical doctrines were true, it would follow 
as a matter of course that from the time of Christ no 
single person, not even were he an apostle or a martyr, 
could have been saved. The holy apostles and all their 
successors in the priesthood celebrated and offered to 
the most high God the sacrifice of the Mass; all holy 
martyrs and confessors heard Mass devoutly, and re- 
garded it as the highest act of divine service. Now, if 
the holy Mass were idolatrous, and a denial of the 
one sacrifice of Christ, the holy apostles and all the 
faithful would have been guilty of idolatry, they would 
grievously have offended the divine Majesty, and ren- 
dered themselves worthy of eternal damnation. And 
since no person of any sense will credit such an asser- 
tion, no one can believe the Calvinistic teaching to be 
true. Rather than to Calvin and Luther, let us listen to 
St. Fulgentius when he says: " Hold fast the doctrine, 
and never permit yourself to doubt, that the only-be- 



The Nature of Holy Mass, 23 

gotten Son of God became man for us, and for us offered 
Himself to Almighty God, to Whom the Catholic Church 
throughout the world now offers in faith and charity un- 
ceasingly the oblation of bread and wine." Who is most 
worthy of our belief — a holy and enlightened teacher of 
the Church, or two apostates such as Calvin and Luther ? 

To these latter one may apply the words addressed by 
the learned Peter of Clugny to some other heretics: " If 
your teaching were universally accepted, that is, if 
Christians were to abolish the holy sacrifice of the Mass, 
that would come to pass in this season of grace which 
never came to pass in the season of wrath: God would 
no longer be worshipped upon earth. Therefore, O ye 
enemies of God, listen when the Church of God tells 
you that a divine sacrifice is essential to her existence, 
and that in this sacrifice she offers the body and blood 
of the Saviour, and that alone; and what He did in His 
death, that she does whenever this offering is made." 
Such are the words of the aforesaid father. 

Let us therefore beware lest the same thing befall us 
that befell the unhappy heretics. For the evil one 
robbed them of the holy Mass to their unspeakable in- 
jury; but us Catholics, since he could not succeed in de- 
priving us of it, he blinded in great measure so that we 
might not fully appreciate the magnitude of this holy 
sacrifice, and its immense potency. Doubtless it was 
due to Satan's devices that for a considerable period 
this divine mystery was so seldom made the subject of 
sermons, that so little was said or written respecting it, 
and thus Catholics became careless about hearing Mass, 
or heard it indevoutly. 

As a means of preventing this evil the Council of 
Trent commanded those who had the care of souls fre- 
quently to preach about the holy Mass. The decree is 
as follows: " The holy synod charges pastors, and all 



24 The Nature of Holy Mass. 

who have the care of souls, that they frequently, during 
the celebration of Mass, expound, either themselves or 
by others, some portion of those things which are read at 
Mass; and that, amongst the rest, they explain some mys- 
tery of this most holy sacrifice, especially on the Lord's 
days and festivals." (Session xxii. ch. 8.) If the people 
are ignorant of the great value of holy Mass they do not 
love and esteem it as they ought; they never go to Mass 
on week-days, and on Sundays and holydays they are 
too often indifferent, irreverent, superficial; they absent 
themselves on a mere pretext, and without the slightest 
scruple of conscience. 

But if they understand the vast efficacy and value of 
the holy Mass, they cannot fail to prize more highly this 
costly treasure, to love it more deeply, and assist at the 
divine oblation with greater reverence. There is in the 
Catholic Church no mystery more important, more con- 
soling, more salutary, than this sublime mystery of 
the altar. If this truth were recognized aright, we 
should certainly see a larger attendance at Mass on 
week-days. 



The Excellence of Holy Mass, 25 



CHAPTER II. 
THE EXCELLENCE OF HOLY MASS. 

nPHE holy Mass is of such surpassing excellence tli^; 
not even one of the highest angels can praise ic 
aright. Let us hear what St. Francis de Sales says of it 
in his Introduction to a Devout Life : " Holy Mass is the 
sun of all spiritual exercises, the mainspring of devo- 
tion, the soul of piety, the fire of divine charity, the 
abyss of divine mercy, and a precious means whereby 
God confers upon us His graces.'* It would take long 
fully to unfold the meaning of these beautiful words, and 
explain the glorious epithets of which the saint makes 
use. What he intends to say is this: Let him who 
desires to be truly pious and devout be assiduous in his 
attendance upon holy Mass, for this is the best means of 
obtaining divine grace. 

The learned Father Osorius places the holy Mass be- 
fore all the other mysteries of religion, for he says: 
" There is nothing in holy Church so sublime and of such 
inestimable value as the holy sacrifice of the Mass, for 
in it the adorable Sacrament of the Altar is consecrated, 
and offered as a sacred oblation to the most high God.*' 
Fornerus, some time Bishop of Bamberg, says the same: 
" The holy Mass far surpasses in dignity all other holy 
sacraments and rites of the Church." Again he adds: 
" The holy sacraments are sublime, but more sublime by 
far is the holy sacrifice of the Mass. For they are 
vessels of mercy for the living, whereas it is an inex- 
haustible ocean of divine bounty for both the living and 
the dead," See how this writer praises and magnifies 



26 The Excelle7ice of Holy Mass. 

the holy sacrifice of the Mass, assigning to it a value far 
beyond that of the sacraments. We will now consider 
the reasons why the holy Mass is so superexcellent a 
thing. 

First of all, the great excellence of the holy Mass may 
be inferred from the prayers and ceremonies appointed 
for the consecration of churches and altars. Any one 
who has been present at the dedication of a church, who 
has followed the prayers and understood the ceremonial 
made use of by the bishop, cannot fail to have been 
edified by what he witnessed. For the benefit of those 
who have never assisted at the consecration of churches 
and altars the ceremonies connected with it shall be 
briefly described. 

THE DEDICATION OF CHURCHES. 

The consecrating bishop, who, together with the con- 
gregation, has prepared himself by fasting on the preced- 
ing day, sets apart overnight the relics to be used in the 
consecration. On the morning of the day appointed he 
betakes himself to the place whither they have been 
carried, and after vesting pontifically recites with the 
clergy present the seven penitential psalms and the 
Litany of the Saints. He then goes in procession with 
the clergy round the outside of the church, the door of 
which is closed, sprinkling the upper portion of the walls 
with holy water in the form of the cross, saying : 
In the name of the Father 4*, and of the Son ^^ and of 
the Holy ^ Ghost — the clergy meanwhile singing a re- 
sponsory. On coming back to the church-door the 
bishop says a short prayer, and knocks with his pastoral 
staff at the door, saying: Attollite portas.principes^ vesiras^ 
etc. (** Lift up your heads, ye princes, and be ye lifted up, 
ye eternal gates, ^nd the King of glpry will enter,") He 



The Excellence of Holy Mass. 27 

then goes round the church again, sprinkling the lower 
part of the walls with the same words; and on returning 
to the door says a different prayer, and knocks with his 
staff as before. A third time he goes round the church, 
this time sprinkling the middle part of the walls; he 
then knocks three times with his staff at the door, saying: 
" Be opened ! " And upon the door being opened he 
makes a cross with his staff on the threshold, saying: 
*' Behold the sign of the cross; let the spirits of evil 
depart!" Entering into the church, he says: " Peace be 
to this house ! " 

In the middle of the church the bishop kneels down 
and intones the hymn Veni^ Creator Spiritus; this is 
followed by the Litany of the Saints and the canticle of 
Zachary: Benedictus Dominus Deus ('* Blessed be the Lord 
God of Israel.") While these are being sung he forms 
a cross with the letters of the Latin and Greek alphabets, 
which he inscribes with his staff on ashes wherewith the 
floor of the church has previously been sprinkled; then, 
kneeling before the high altar, he chants three times the 
words, Deus, in adjutoriu77i meinn intende, etc. (" O God, 
come to my assistance," etc.) . Thereupon he blesses with 
the prescribed form of prayer ashes, salt, water, and wine, 
mixing them together and signing them repeatedly wdth 
the cross, and proceeds to consecrate the high altar and 
the other altars. Dipping his thumb in the preparation 
which he has just blessed, he makes a cross in the middle 
and in the four corners of the altar-stone, saying: " Let 
this altar be sanctified 4* to the glory of God, of the Vir- 
gin Mary, and all the saints, and in the name and com- 
memoration of St. N. [naming the patron of the church], 
in the name of the Hf* Father," etc. These words are 
repeated five times. Thereupon he goes round the altar 
seven times, sprinkling it with holy water and reciting 
the Miserere, 



28 The Excellence of Holy Mass. 

He next goes three times round the interior of the 
church, sprinkling the walls above, below, and in the 
middle whilst three psalms and antiphons are sung. He 
also sprinkles the floor of the church in each of the four 
corners, with certain prayers and the sign of the cross, 
and returns to the high altar. He then blesses chalk and 
sand, and mixes them with holy water, thus preparing 
the mortar for the laying of the altar-stone. Afterwards^ 
going in procession to the place where the relics were 
deposited on the previous evening, he incenses them, 
and carries them with lighted tapers and smoking censers 
round the church. Pausing on the threshold, the bishop 
makes three crosses on the door, saying: " In the name of 
the Father^*, and of the Son 4*, and of the Holy 4* Ghost, 
be thou blessed, sanctified, and consecrated." 

When the procession reaches the high altar, the bishop 
makes ^n^ crosses with chrism in the cavity of the altar, 
called the sepulchre, places the case containing the relics 
in it, incenses them, and closes the repository or sepul- 
chre with a stone that has been blessed and the mortar 
prepared for the purpose. Thereupon he incenses the 
altar itself, and hands the censer to a priest, who goes 
round it incensing every part. Meanwhile the bishop 
makes five crosses with oil of catechumens on the table 
of the altar, one in the centre and one in each of the 
corners, with the same words employed when blessing 
the water, incenses the crosses, and goes round the altar 
incensing it. After the prescribed prayer and psalm 
have been recited he again anoints the altar, making 
five crosses upon it, saying: '^ Let this altar be blessed, 
sanctified, and consecrated." He then again incenses the 
crosses and the whole altar. This ceremony is repeated 
a third time, whilst psalms are chanted by the clergy. 
Finally, the bishop pours oil and chrism over the whole 
altar^ rubbing it in with his hand. He then goes round 



The Excellence vf Holy Mass. 29 

the interior of the church, and anoints the twelve crosses 
upon the walls with the chrism, saying: " Let this church 
be hallowed and consecrated in the name of the Father, 
etc.," and incensing each cross three times. Returning 
to the altar, he blesses the frankincense, lays five grains 
of incense wherever the five crosses were made, forms 
five small crosses out of wax tapers and lights them. 
Whilst they are burning, he kneels down, as do all 
the clergy present, and intones the hymn Ve7iz, Sancte 
Spiritus. This is followed by more prayers and a pref- 
ace; the clergy chant Psalm Ixvii. in thanksgiving for the 
graces received; the bishop makes a cross with the 
chrism below the table of the altar, and recites more and 
longer prayers. After that he rubs his hands with bread 
and salt, and washes them in water. The clergy wipe 
the altar with linen, cover it with an altar-cloth, decorate 
it as best they can, whilst psalms and responsories are 
sung. In conclusion the bishop incenses the altar three 
times, and proceeds to celebrate a solemn pontifical High 
Mass. 

All who have been present at the dedication of a 
church cannot find words to express their surprise at the 
number of different ceremonies, anointings, benedictions, 
and prayers that appertain to the ritual. What is the 
object of all of these ? It is in order to render the 
church a temple meet for the great and holy sacrifice 
offered up therein to the most high God, and to hallow 
and consecrate the altars whereon the spotless Lamb of 
God is to be slain in a mystical manner. 

This is sufficient to convince any Christian of the 
sanctity of our churches and altars, and the great rever- 
ence w^e ought to pay to them. Solomon's temple was 
but a foreshadow and type of the Christian Church, and 
yet in what respect it was held both by Jews and heathen! 
How much the more should we reverence and respect 



30 The Excellence of Holy Mass. 

our churches, hallowed as they are by so solemn a dedi- 
cation ! We read in the Third Book of Kings that Solo- 
mon, on the occasion of the dedication of his temple, 
offered up no less than two and twenty thousand oxen, 
and a hundred and twenty thousand rams. These ani- 
mals were all slaughtered by the priests, purified, and 
laid in pieces on the altar. And while the king prayed 
aloud fire fell from heaven and consumed the victims. 
The whole temple was filled with a cloud, and the glory 
of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And all the people, 
who beheld the fire and the glory of the Lord, filled with 
awe, fell upon their faces and adored the Lord. There- 
upon King Solomon, standing on a high place in the 
sight of the assembly of Israel, spread forth his hands 
towards heaven and said: "Is it then to be thought that 
God should indeed dwell upon earth ? For if heaven 
and the heavens of heavens cannot contain Thee, how 
much less this house, which I have built ! '' (iii. Kings 
viii. 27.) 

Who, indeed, can fail to be amazed at this, and feel 
himself unable rightly to comprehend the dignity of that 
sacred temple ? And yet that temple was but a type, an 
image, of our churches. In that there was nothing but 
the Ark of the Covenant, which only contained the two 
stone tables of the law, a basket of showbread, and 
Aaron's rod that had blossomed. The sacrifices of the 
Jews were only animals that were slaughtered and burnt, 
besides offerings of bread, wine, cakes, etc., whereas our 
churches are dedicated by the bishops with incomparably 
greater solemnity; they are anointed with holy oil and 
chrism; they are blessed by being sprinkled with holy 
water and incensed with frankincense; they are hal- 
lowed repeatedly by the sign of the cross, and conse- 
crated finally by the oblation of the most holy sacrifice 
of the Mass. Instead of the Ark of the Covenant we 



The Excelloice of Holy Mass, J I 

h^ve the tabernacle, where the true bread of heaven, 
the adorable Sacrament of the Altar, the body and 
blood of Christ, is continually reserved. If it is right to 
hold Solomon's temple in honor, how much more ought 
we to reverence our consecrated churches, in which God 
dwells in person. 

Our churches are called the house of God, and this 
in very deed they are, since God Himself dwells in them, 
and is always to be found in them. He is surrounded 
continually by a countless host of angels, who serve Him, 
who adore Him, who worship Him, w^ho praise Him, who 
offer our prayers to Him. This was foreshadowed by 
the vision of the patriarch Jacob. Overtaken by night 
in the open country, he laid down to sleep, and in a 
dream he saw a ladder standing upon the earth, the top 
of which reached to heaven. By this ladder the angels 
of God were ascending and descending, and at the top 
of it he beheld God Himself. Jacob woke from his 
sleep trembling, and said: " How terrible is this place ! 
This is no other but the house of God, and the gate of 
heaven." (Gen. xxviii. 17.) He took the stone on which 
his head had rested, poured oil upon it, set it up for an 
altar, and on his return journey he offered sacrifice 
upon it to God. That was a type of the Christian 
Church, with its altar, anointed with holy oil and chrism, 
of which we can in truth say: ** How terrible is this 
place ! This is no other but the house of God, and the 
gate of heaven," for here the angels ascend and descend, 
and carry up our petitions to heaven. Our churches 
are the place of which God speaks by the mouth of the 
prophet Isaias: "I will bring them [the people of the 
Lord] into My holy mount, and will make them joyful 
in My house of prayer. Their holocausts and their vic- 
tims shall please Me upon My altar; for My house shall 
be called the house of prayer for all nations." (Is. Ivi. 7.) 



3^ The Excellefice of Holy Mass, 

From all this we learn the sanctity of our churches, 
and the respect we owe to them. It is because they are 
the house of God, and Jesus Christ dwells in person 
within them in the Blessed Sacrament, surrounded by in- 
numerable angels, that we know not how to honor them 
enough, how to be sufficiently devout and recollected in 
prayer. If we had a living faith, we should enter' a con- 
secrated church with trembling; we should worship Christ 
present in the Adorable Sacrament with deepest rever- 
ence, and invoke the assistance of the holy angels who are 
there. Such was David's custom, as he tells us in the 
words: "" I will worship towards Thy holy temple; I will 
sing praise to Thee in the sight of the angels." (Ps. 
cxxxvii. 2, I.) Therefore to be inattentive in church, or 
in any other way to displease God by disrespectful be- 
havior^ is an insult to the Divine Majesty and dishonor 
to the house of God. Let us firmly resolve on entering 
a church not to utter or listen to an unnecessary word, 
nor to look about us, but to behave reverently, to pray 
devoutly, to adore the Lord our God, to confess our sins 
and implore the divine mercy. 

Furthermore, we may learn how excellent a thing 
is the holy Mass from the solemn ordination of priests 
and clerics. Every priest must be admitted to seven 
different grades of orderrs before he is empowered to offer 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The four minor orders 
indicate that he who receives them is taken into the ser- 
vice of the Church, and may assist the priest who cele- 
brates Mass. But they do not confer the right so much 
as to touch the chalice, the paten, the corporal, or the 
purificator; for this the fifth order, that of the subdi- 
aconate, must be received. 

Only the subdeacon, the deacon, and the priest are 
entitled to handle the sacred vessels employed at the 
altar, or to cleanse them. It is of great importance 



The Excelleftce of Holy Mass, 33 

that all the things that are required for the celebration 
of the holy Mass should be kept scrupulously clean and 
in good condition, as they are used in the highest act of 
divine service, and are brought into contact with the 
most sacred body and blood of the Lord. It is greatly 
to be deplored when proper and clean vestments and 
vessels are not provided, or when the congregation is 
backward in supplying the priest with the funds requisite 
for the purpose. 

THE MANNER OF CONFERRING HOLY ORDERS. 

The three higher grades are the subdiaconate, the 
diaconate, and the priesthood. This last is conferred 
during the celebration of Mass, and in the following 
manner: The deacon who is to be ordained priest, vested 
in alb, amice, girdle, and stole, the latter being worn over 
the left shoulder and fastened on the right side, must 
present himself before the bishop, who occupies a chair 
on the top step of the altar, and kneel down at his feet. 
The bishop, in a lengthy and forcible address, sets be- 
fore him the heavy duties of the office he is about to 
take upon himself, concluding with the words: " As oft 
as thou shalt celebrate the mystery of the Lord's death 
strive to mortify in thy members all evil desires and 
concupiscences. Let thy doctrine be a spiritual medicine 
to the people of God; let the sweet savor of thy life re- 
joice the Church of Christ, so that by thy teaching and 
example thou mayst edify the house of God, and that 
both we, for conferring upon thee so weighty an office, 
as well as thou thyself, for assuming it, may receive from 
God, not the sentence of condemnation, but rather the 
reward of good works, which may God operate in thee 
by His grace. Amen." The bishop then addresses the 
people, and asks their testimony to the worthiness of the 



34 ^^^ Excellence of Holy Mass, 

candidate for this high office. If no one alleges any- 
thing against him, the bishop kneels down and recites 
aloud the Litany of the Saints and other prayers, the 
deacon, who meanwhile lies prostrate upon his face, re- 
sponding. Afterwards the bishop lays his hands upon 
his head, repeating a prayer over him, together with a 
long preface; he then places the stole round his neck 
and puts the chasuble over his head. Kneeling down, he 
pronounces another prayer, and the Vefii^ Creator Spiritus, 
This ended, he resumes his seat, and the deacon, kneel- 
ing before him, lays his hands open upon the bishop's 
lap. The bishop proceeds to anoint the palms with the 
chrism in the form of a cross; he then touches each 
finger and both the hands separately, saying: "Vouch- 
safe, O Lord, to sanctify and consecrate these hands by 
this anointing and our benediction." He also makes the 
sign of the cross over them, with a prayer that whatso- 
ever they bless may be blessed, whatsoever they sanctify 
may remain sanctified, in the name of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ. He then binds both the hands of the deacon 
together with a narrow linen cloth, gives him a chalice 
to hold containing wine and water, also a paten and (un- 
consecrated) host, saying: " Receive power to offer sacri- 
fice to God and to celebrate Mass, as well for the living 
as for the dead, in the name of the Lord. Amen." The 
hands of the newly-ordained priest are unbound; he 
washes them, the bishop meanwhile proceeding with the 
celebration of Mass. At the Offertory he delivers a 
lighted taper to the bishop, whose hand he kisses. Then, 
kneeling behind him, and holding a missal, he reads 
with him word for word the Canon of the Mass, receiv- 
ing from his hand the sacred host at the time of the 
Communion. The newly-ordained priest has also to re- 
cite the Creed, whereupon the bishop confers on him the 
power to forgive sins by laying his hands upon his head 



The Excellence of Holy Mass, 35 

with the words: *' Receive the Holy Ghost; whosesoever 
sins thou shalt remit they are remitted, and whosesoever 
sins thou shalt retain they are retained." Finally, he 
takes the oath of obedience to the bishop and his right- 
ful successors, and the ceremony terminates with the fol- 
lowing blessing: " The benediction of God the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Ghost, descend on thee; and 
mayst thou be blessed in the order of the priesthood, 
and mayst thou offer pleasing victims for the sins and 
offences of the people to Almighty God, to Whom be 
praise and glory forever and ever. Amen." 

Such is the ritual which must be observed in the ordi- 
nation of priests in the Roman Catholic Church. If 
these ceremonies be carefully studied, we cannot fail to 
admire and prize highly the ancient formulae appointed 
by the Church for the devout and solemn administration 
of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Wherefore should 
so elaborate a ceremonial be observed at the ordina- 
tion of a Catholic priest ? For this reason, that he may 
be sufficiently cleansed, sanctified, and made worthy to 
offer to the tremendous majesty of God the most pure, 
most holy, most adorable and divine sacrifice of the holy 
Mass. Wherefore let us hold priests in honor because of 
their dignity and the consecration they have received; 
for Christ has said that those who honor them honor 
Him, and those who despise them despise Him. 

The great excellence of the holy sacrifice may further- 
more be seen from the number of things that are requi- 
site if it is to be offered. It is necessary to have: (i) An 
ordained priest, who stands in the place of Christ. (2) A 
consecrated altar, which must in every church or chapel 
occupy an elevated position, because it represents the 
Mount of Calvary, whereon Christ, the guiltless victim, 
was immolated and lifted up upon the cross. (3) Sacer- 
dotal vestments, namely: {a) The amice, which the priest 



$6 The Excellence of Holy Mass, 

passes over his head and places round his neck; this 
represents the linen cloth wherewith in the house of 
Caiphas the Jews covered Christ's countenance, bidding 
Him in mockery: Prophesy to us, who is it that struck 
Thee ? {b) The alb, which represents the white garment 
in which He was arrayed in the house of Herod, {c) 
The linen girdle with which the priest girds himself, and 
which represents the cord wherewith Christ was bound 
in the Garden of Olives by the Jews. {^) The maniple, 
which, placed on the priest's left arm, represents the 
bonds wherewith Christ's hands were tied. (^) The stole, 
which, placed around the neck of the priest and crossed 
upon his breast, represents the chains laid upon Our 
Lord after He was sentenced to death. (/) The chasu- 
ble, which represents the purple robe wherewith the im- 
pious soldiery clothed Him in derision at the crowning 
with thorns. The cross upon the chasuble represents 
the cross to which Christ was nailed; the pillar, the 
column at which He was scourged. (4) A consecrated 
chalice, which represents the grave wherein He was laid, 
or the bitter chalice of His passion, that He drank to 
the dregs. (5) A pall to cover the chalice; this repre- 
sents the stone that closed His tomb. (6) A paten, or 
small silver plate, representing the vases containing the 
unguents used to anoint the body of Christ before His 
burial. (7) A corporal, or square of fine linen, which 
represents the shroud wrapped about His sacred remains. 
Furthermore, there is (8) the purificator, a small cloth 
employed to dry the chalice, representing the other 
cloths that were used at His interment; (9) the veil of 
silk to cover the chalice, representing the veil of the 
temple, rent in two from the top to the bottom at the 
moment of His death; (10) the two cruets, representing 
the vessels which contained the wine and the gall given 
Him to drink upon the cross. Besides these it is neces- 



The Excellence of Holy Mass. yj 

sary to have (ii) a host; (12) wine; (13) water; (14) two 
tapers; (15) two candlesticks; (16) a missal; (17) a 
stand or cushion, to support the missal; (18) three altar- 
cloths, to lay upon the altar; (19) a lavabo, or napkin, 
on which the priest dries his fingers after the washing of 
hands; (20) a bell; (21) a crucifix, to stand in the mid- 
dle of the altar; (22) a server, to answer the responses. 
Almost all the things that have been enumerated are es- 
sential to the Mass; so much so that the priest who dis- 
pensed with any of them, except in case of absolute 
necessity, would be guilty of a grave sin. We will give 
an instance of this: 

At the time that the Moors had subjugated the greater 
pait of Spain it happened that a certain King of Cara- 
vaca, who held captive a large number of Christians, felt 
his heart touched with compassion for them. He or- 
dered them to be set at liberty, and bade them all appear 
in his presence. He then asked each one individually 
what was his trade or handiwork, and gave him permis- 
sion to exercise it. Amongst the released prisoners there 
was a priest, who, when asked that question, replied that 
his calling was that of one who was empowered to bring 
down Almighty God Himself from heaven to earth. 
And when the king expressed the desire that he should 
give proof of this power he replied that it would be 
impossible for him to do so unless he had everything 
that was required by Christians for the celebration of the 
holy Mass. The king then commanded the priest to 
make a list of everything that was necessary, and he 
would see that they were provided. The priest wrote 
down everything with one exception: he quite forgot the 
crucifix. He did not notice this omission until every- 
thing else had been procured, and he was about to begin 
the Mass. He was much concerned, and hesitated 
whether he ought to say Mass without it. The king, 



38 The Excellence of Holy Mass. 

perceiving that there was something wrong, thought that 
he was not quite master of his art, and asked why he 
was troubled. The priest did not conceal the cause of 
his vexation, but told the king that he had omitted to 
mention the crucifix, and did not feel certain whether it 
would be right to celebrate the Mass without it. While 
he was earnestly entreating the help of God in this diffi- 
culty, behold! the vaulted stone roof of the chamber in 
which the altar had been raised was cleft asunder, and 
two angels, shining like the sun and clad in costly rai- 
ment, descended from above, bearing a glittering crucifix 
of wood of considerable size. Placing it upon the altar, 
they bade the priest commence the Mass. The king 
and all who were present, filled with awe, fell upon their 
faces on the ground, nor did they dare rise until the 
celestial visitants, whom they took to be gods, had van- 
ished. Then they no longer doubted that the priest had 
power to call down from heaven the omnipotent God, 
and they readily acknowledged the Christian religion to 
be the true one. Such was the. origin of the holy cross 
still preserved and regarded with great veneration at 
Caravaca, in Spain. Every year on the annivers^y of 
the event we have just recorded it is exposed for the 
veneration of the faithful; many sick persons have been 
cured by drinking water in which it had been dipped. 
This true story will serve to prove the great excellence 
of holy Mass, and how important it is that nothing 
should be wanting of the articles prescribed for the due 
and proper celebration of this most holy sacrifice. 

The ritual which it is obligatory upon the celebrant to 
observe also gives evidence to the excellence of the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass. We will enumerate some of the 
principal ceremonies: Sixteen times does the priest 
make the sign of the cross on his own person; six times 
he turns to the people; eight times he kisses the altarj 



The Excellence of Holy Mass. 39 

eleven times he raises his eyes to heaven; ten times he 
strikes his breast, and as many times he genuflects; no 
less than fifty-four times he joins his hands; he bows his 
head or his whole person thirty times; he makes the 
sign of the cross over the oblation thirty-one times; 
sometimes he prays with arms extended, more often with 
folded hands; nine times he lays his left hand upon 
the altar; eleven times he places it upon his breast; 
eight times he raises both hands to heaven; eleven times 
he prays silently; thirteen times he prays audibly; ten 
times the chalice is covered and uncovered; twenty 
times the priest moves to and fro before the altar. 

These oft-repeated ceremonies and some hundred and 
fifty others are enjoined upon the priest who celebrates 
Mass. In addition the rubrics to be followed are four 
hundred in number; these the priest who says Mass ac- 
cording to the Roman ordo is bound strictly to observe, 
under pain of sin. For all this ritual has a mystic mean- 
ing, and contributes to the proper and reverent perform- 
ance of this holy and sublime act. On this account 
Pope St. Pius V. strictly commanded that, in virtue of 
holy obedience, all cardinals, archbishops, bishops, prel- 
ates, and priests should say Mass in this and no other 
manner, without diverging in any way from it, either by 
addition or suppression. If a priest willingly and wit- 
tingly alters or omits any of these ceremonies, it is not to 
be reckoned as a slight carelessness on his part, but as a 
grievous sin, since it is not merely an offence against the 
honor and dignity of the highest act of worship, but a 
violation of the express law of the Church. Each time 
the priest curtails in any way the ceremonial of the Mass 
a fresh sin is laid to his charge. 

Hence we may learn that the faithful owe no slight 
debt of gratitude to the priest who is bound to observe 
such strict rules in offering the holy sacrifice for them. 



40 The Excellence of Holy Mass. 

In virtue of this he earns an eternal reward, but we must 
not forget that a temporal one is also due to him. The 
customary offering of money must not be withheld, for, 
as St. Paul reminds us: '^ They that serve the altar par- 
take with the altar." (i. Cor. ix. 13.) 

And if it be asked why the priest says Mass in Latin, 
an unknown tongue, instead of in the vernacular, we 
reply: The holy Mass is not a sermon, it is not intended 
for the instruction of the people, it is the offering for 
them of the sacrifice of the New Testament. There are 
good reasons why this should be done in a language 
which never can change. Some languages are called 
dead, others living: the former are no longer in common 
use, and are consequently unchanged; the latter are the 
modes of speech of the various peoples, and are subject 
to constant variation. If the Mass were said in one of 
the living languages, there would be great risk that as 
the meaning of words changed the original significance 
of the formulas would change also, and against this 
danger the Church must guard. As the integral part of 
religion cannot be altered, so the language of religion 
must ever remain the same. The unity of doctrine in 
the Catholic Church throughout the world is beautifully 
illustrated by the identity of the language she employs. 
In whatever part of the globe the Catholic finds himself 
there the great mystery of the faith he professes is cele- 
brated in the same manner, in the same language. And 
lest the ordinary Christian should remain in ignorance 
of the meaning of the Latin prayers of the Mass, holy 
Church, in her maternal care for her children, provides 
that in the prayer-books they should be translated into 
the vulgar tongue of each country. She also enjoins, as 
we have seen, upon every one who has the care of souls 
frequently to explain to his flock the meaning of the 



The Excelle7ice of Holy Mass. 41 

prayers and ceremonies of the Mass, so that no one may 
fail fully to understand them. 

THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

From what has been said above some idea may be 
formed of the exalted dignity of the sacrifice of the 
Mass. We shall, however, comprehend this more fully 
when we consider who it is who offers this divine obla- 
tion. Who, indeed ? Is it a priest, a bishop, a pope, an 
angel, a saint, or perhaps the blessed Mother of God ? 
Not so; it is none other than the greatest of all priests 
and bishops, the only-begotten Son of the Eternal 
Father, Jesus Christ, anointed by the Father a high 
priest, a priest forever according to the order of Mel- 
chisedech. This is what gives to the holy sacrifice of 
the Mass its immense, its all-surpassing excellence, and 
renders it in very truth a divine oblation. 

St. Chrysostom testifies in the following words to the 
fact that in the Mass Christ Himself, the great High 
Priest, offers the holy sacrifice: " The priest is only a 
minister, for He Who sanctifies and transforms the Victim 
is Christ Himself, Who at the Last Supper changed the 
bread into His flesh. That He continues to do now. 
Therefore, O Christian, when thou seest the priest at the 
altar, think not that it is he who offers the sacrifice, 
but believe that it is the hand of Christ, invisible to 
mortal sight." In these words St. Chrysostom asserts un- 
mistakably that Christ in person performs the great act 
of sacrifice; that He comes down, that is, from heaven, 
that He transforms the bread and wine into His own 
body and blood, that He offers Himself to God the Father 
for the salvation of the world, and as a faithful inter- 
cessor pleads for the welfare of His people. Priests are 



42 The Excellence of Holy Mass. 

only His servants: they place at His disposal their lips, 
their voice, their hands, that through their instrumentality 
He may offer this divine oblation. 

And lest any one should, perhaps, refuse to give cre- 
dence to what St. Chrysostom says, we will adduce other 
evidence, which no one will dare question, for it is 
that of the holy Catholic Church, teaching us by the 
decrees of the Council of Trent : " The sacrifice of the 
cross and the sacrifice of the Mass are one and the 
same; the same now offering by the ministry of priests 
Who offered Himself on the cross." In these words the 
Church teaches us, and commands us to believe, that 
priests are but the ministers of Christ, and that Christ 
immolates Himself upon the altar in like manner as He 
immolated Himself when hanging upon the cross. How 
great an honor, how unspeakable a privilege, how inesti- 
mable a benefit, it is for us that our divine Saviour 
should condescend to become our Priest, our Mediator, 
our Intercessor, and that He should offer and immolate 
Himself for us in person to God the Father ! 

Hear how St. Paul speaks of the greatness and glory 
of this act : " It was fitting that we should have such 
a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from 
sinners, and made higher than the heavens: Who 
needeth not daily, as the other priests, to offer sacrifices 
first for His own sins, and then for the people's: for 
this He did once, in offering Himself. For the law 
maketh men priests, who have infirmity: but the word 
of the oath, which was since the law, the Son Who is 
perfected for evermore." (Heb. vii. 26-28). 

Such is the glowing language in w^hich the Apostle sets 
before us the great love of our God for us, in that He 
appoints not a frail, sinful man to be our priest and 
mediator, but His one and only Son, perfect in sanctity 
and purity. 



The Excellence of Holy Mass, 43 

Let us now consider the reasons why Christ did not 
intrust to any mortal man the offering of that sacrifice 
which is His own. Principally it was because this ob- 
lation must be clean and spotless; witness the prediction 
of the prophet Malachias: "In every place, saith the 
Lord, there is offered to My name a clean oblation." 
Concerning this the Church teaches: "This [the sacri- 
fice of the Mass] is indeed that clean oblation which 
cannot be defiled by any unworthiness or malice of 
those that offer it." Now if the earthly priest were in 
reality the one that offered the sacrifice, it might per- 
chance be impure and defiled, and well might we doubt 
whether such an oblation would be pleasing to God. 
Therefore God the Father ordained that His most holy 
vSon should retain for Himself the name and ofiice of a 
priest; according to His own words: " Thou art a priest 
forever according to the order of Melchisedech." (Ps. 
cix. 4.) Hence we see that although the priest says the 
Mass, he is not in reality the one who offers the sacri- 
fice: he is only the representative of the great High 
Priest Jesus Christ; and just as if a man were to give 
his servant a sum of money to be offered for hifli at 
some shrine, the fact that the servant whom he thus 
commissioned was in a state of mortal sin could not in 
any way diminish the value of the gift, so the priest 
cannot in any wise render that sacrifice unholy or im- 
pure which he offers only in the name of Jesus Christ. 

But why, it may be asked, did not Christ commission 
either an angel or a saint to offer this sacrifice — not even 
His most pure Mother herself, who is immaculate and 
full of grace; who could not by any possibility render 
this oblation impure, but would offer it in a perfect 
manner ? 

The reason why Christ did not and could not leave 
the offering of the most holy sacrifice of the Mass to an 



44 The Excellence of Holy Mass. 

angel or a saint, much less to a sinful man, but retained 
the right to do so Himself, was in order that He might 
daily present to His heavenly Father for the salvation of 
mankind an oblation which should be ever the same, 
and should be offered up in so sublime and all-efficient 
a manner as to be pleasing and acceptable to the Most 
Holy Trinity. 

Hence it follows that each Mass that is said is an act 
of such supreme dignity, performed by Christ Himself 
with such piety, reverence, and love, that neither man 
nor angel can fully comprehend it. This was revealed 
to St. Mechtilde by Our Lord Himself in these words: 
" I alone know, and perfectly understand, what this 
offering is that I daily make of Myself for the salvation 
of the faithful; it surpasses the comprehension of cheru- 
bim and seraphim, and all the hosts of heaven." O my 
God, how glorious, potent, and beyond all price must 
be this sacrifice which Christ makes of Himself in the 
holy Mass, since the highest celestial intelligences are 
unable to grasp and comprehend it ! O adorable Jesus, 
how unsearchable is this mystery, since Thy divine 
wisdom and understanding alone can know and appre- 
ciate it ! Happy the man who assists at holy Mass, and 
thereby merits to participate in the sacrifice Thou dost 
offer up for him, the virtue, the efficacy, of which no 
created intelligence can fathom! 

Let us, then, lay this to heart, and consider well of what 
great profit it is for us to hear Mass, because in the holy 
Mass Jesus Christ offers Himself up for us, and places 
Himself as a mediator between the divine justice and 
the sins of mankind, and either altogether averts, or at 
least arrests, the chastisement which is the due penalty 
of our daily offences. Did we but recognize this aright, 
how we should love holy Mass, how devoutly we should 
hear it, how reluctant should we be to allow anything to 



The Excellence of Holy Mass, 45 

keep us from it ! In fact, we should choose rather to 
suffer temporal loss than to deprive our soul of the 
benefit of assisting at this sacred and salutary sacrifice. 
Such was the fervor of the early Christians that they 
would rather lose their life than omit Mass. Baronius 
tells a striking story on this subject. The incident oc- 
curred about the year 303. 

In the town of Aluta, in Africa, all the Christian 
churches had been destroyed, and the Christian worship 
proscribed by the emperor's commands. In spite of this 
prohibition a number of Christians, both men and 
women, had assembled in a private dwelling to hear 
Mass. They were surprised by the pagans, seized, and 
dragged before the judge on the public market-place. 
The missal, as well as several other books which were 
found in the captives' possession, were, amid general 
derision, thrown into a fire kindled on the market-place; 
they were, however, not consumed, for before the flames 
could reach them a shower of rain fell with such extraor- 
dinary violence as to extinguish the fire. The judge 
was so struck by this occurrence that he sent the prison- 
ers, thirty-four men and seventeen women, to Carthage, 
to appear before the emperor. The Christians went 
quite cheerfully, beguiling the way with psalms and 
hymns. When they were brought into the emperor's 
presence, the officer who conducted them said: " These 
mischievous Christians were apprehended by us, O em- 
peror, in the town of Aluta, where, in defiance of thy de- 
cree, they were worshipping their false gods." The em- 
peror immediately had one, of the prisoners stripped, 
placed on the rack, and his flesh torn with sharp hooks. 
Thereupon one of the others, Telica by name, said 
aloud : " Why, O tyrant, dost thou torture one alone ? 
We are all Christians, and we all have heard Mass 
as well as he." Then the emperor caused this man 



4^ The Excellence of Holy Mass, 

also to be stripped, and subjected to the same tor- 
ment. ** Whose doing was it that you held this meet- 
ing ? " he asked. ** It was the doing of Saturninus, the 
priest, and of us all," was the reply; "' but remember thou 
art acting contrary to all justice in torturing us on ac- 
count of it." " Thou oughtest to have obeyed our man- 
date, and abandoned the practice of thy false worship," 
the emperor rejoined. But Telica answered: ** I owe 
obedience to no command that is contrary to the com- 
mands of my God, for which I am ready to die." Then 
the emperor ordered the martyrs to be unbound, and 
cast into prison without food or drink. 

Meanwhile the brother of one of the prisoners, himself 
a heathen, came forward, and accused a senator of the 
name of Dativus of having been the means of inducing 
his sister, whose name Avas Victoria, to hear Mass. But 
Victoria spoke up for herself: *^ It was by no man's per- 
suasion, but of my own free will," she said, '* that I went 
to that house to attend holy Mass; for I am a Christian, 
and my crime is that I follow the law of Christ." Her 
brother answered: " You are demented, and speak like a 
fool." "I am no fool," she replied, "but a Christian." 
The emperor then asked if she would return home with 
her brother, but she answered that she recognized those 
as her true brethren and sisters who suffered for the 
name of Christ; nor would she abandon them, for she, 
too, had been present at Mass, and with them had re- 
ceived holy communion. The emperor urged her to 
save herself by following her brother's counsel, for he 
wished to spare her, as she was a woman of rare beauty, 
and a member of one of the first families in the town; 
but, finding he prevailed nothing, he ordered her to be 
placed in confinement, and no effort to be spared to in- 
duce her to give up her faith. The parents of this 
maiden had desired her to marry against her will, and 



The Excellence of Holy Mass. 47 

rather than submit to this she had sprung out of a high 
window, and, going to Saturninus, the priest, entreated 
him to admit her into the number of consecrated virgins. 

Finally, the tyrant addressed Saturninus himself, and 
inquired whether in defiance of the imperial decree he 
had assembled those people for worship. Saturninus re- 
plied: "I assembled them by God's command, for His 
divine service." ** Wherefore didst thou do that?" the 
emperor asked. " Because it is obligatory upon us to 
offer the holy sacrifice," the priest answered. And upon 
the emperor inquiring further whether it was at his insti- 
gation^ and persuasion that the people assembled for 
this purpose, he acknowledged that it was so, and that he 
had himself said the Mass. The judge then sentenced 
him to be stripped, and torn with hooks until his bowels 
protruded through his flesh; afterwards he was thrown 
into the dungeon where the other prisoners were confined. 

Emericus, another of the captives (who was subse- 
quently canonized), was next led before the emperor. 
On being asked who he was he said that he was the one 
who was responsible for this meeting, for it was in his 
house that the Mass was celebrated; and he had caused 
it to be done for the sake of his brethren, because they 
could not be deprived of holy Mass. Thereupon he met 
with the same fate as the others. Then the emperor, 
addressing the remaining prisoners, said: " It is to be 
hoped that you will take warning by the punishment in- 
flicted on your feUow-Christians, and not throw your 
lives away in like manner." But they all answered as 
one man: '^ We are Christians: we are resolved to keep 
the law of Christ, though it cost us our blood." Singling 
out one of those before him, Felix by name, the em- 
peror said: '^ I do not ask thee whether thou art a Chris- 
tian, but whether thou wert present when the Mass wafr 
celebrated." " That question is quite superfluous," 



48 The Excellence of Holy Mass. 

Felix replied; "a Christian cannot exist without holy 
Mass, any more than Mass can be celebrated without 
Christian people. I boldly avow that we met together 
with pious devotion, and offered our prayers during the 
time the Mass was being said." At this the tyrant flew 
into such a rage that he caused the holy martyr to be 
thrown to the ground and beaten to death. 

After all the captives had been most cruelly tortured 
they were thrust together in one large dungeon, and 
their jailers were strictly ordered to give them no food 
whatsoever. Their relatives, hearing this, came to the 
prison, bringing provisions with them, but the jailers 
searched them, took everything from them, and ill- 
treated them into the bargain. The inhuman tyrant 
never relaxed his barbarity; thus the servants of Christ 
were left to perish of hunger and thirst in the prison. 

This story, which Baronius takes from the ancient 
records, proves beyond a doubt that in the early Chris- 
tian Church Mass was said, and that the faithful were 
present at it. We may also learn from it how great was 
the devotion which the pious Christians of the first cen- 
turies had for holy Mass, so that rather than desist from 
hearing it they were willing to suffer agonizing torture 
and the most cruel death. And whence was this fervor ? 
It arose from their appreciation of the sovereign virtue 
of holy Mass, and their keen desire to share in its fruits. 
Let their example be a lesson to us, inciting us to hear 
Mass with greater devotion and more profit to our souls 

THE COSTLINESS OF THE OBLATION OFFERED UP IN 

HOLY MASS. 

All that has been said of the excellence of the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass is inadequate to express the worth 
of the victim which is offered up to the Most Holy Trin- 



The Excellence of Holy Mass. 49 

ity in the Mass. St. Paul says: " Every high priest is ap- 
pointed to offer gifts and sacrifices " (Heb. viii. 3); there- 
fore, as Christ has been anointed high priest by His 
Father, He must of necessity have a victim to sacrifice. 
The Apostle does not go on to say what Christ has to 
offer upon the altar; he leaves us to reflect upon it. Let 
us therefore ask what is the victim which Christ, in His 
character of high priest, immolates to God the Father. 

The victim must be no mean oblation, but one of im- 
mense and priceless value; otherwise it would not be 
worthy to be offered to the infinite Deity. For in pro- 
portion to the greatness of him to whom it is presented 
must be the excellence of the gift that is offered. He 
who should offer a worthless and contemptible gift for 
the acceptance of a monarch, far from earning his thanks, 
would only merit his displeasure. Now we know Al- 
mighty God to be the sovereign Lord of heaven and 
earth, exalted far above all earthly kings and princes. 
Hear what the Wise Man says of Him: " For the whole 
world before Thee is as the least grain of the balance, 
and as a drop of the morning dew, that falleth down 
upon the earth." (Wis. xi. 23.) If the whole world is 
only as a drop of dew in God's sight, what can be found 
in the whole wide world meet to be offered to His 
majesty ? What is there in heaven or on earth that 
Christ can offer as a worthy and acceptable sacrifice to 
the Most Holy Trinity except a victim that is divine ? 

What, then, is it, do you imagine, that Christ offers up 
to xA.lmighty God in the holy Mass ? Listen, and marvel. 
In all the universe He found but one gift, one alone, 
meet to be offered up to the infinite Deity, and that was 
His sacred humanity, holy and immaculate, His adorable 
body and blood. His most pure soul. Concerning this 
St. Chrysostom says: "" Christ was and is both priest and 
victim; He is the priest according to the spirit, the vie- 



Jo The Excellence of Holy Mass, 

tim according to the flesh. He is both the sacrificer and 
the thing sacrificed." St. Augnstine says much the same 
in his commentary on Ps. xxvi. : *' Christ alone was a 
priest in such wise as to be at the same time the victim; 
for He sacrificed naught else but Himself"; since all 
the treasures of heaven and earth could furnish no 
victim fit to be sacrified to the Most Holy Trinity. 

The sacred humanity of Our Lord was the greatest 
and highest work of divine omnipotence. This the 
Mother of God revealed to St. Bridget in these explicit 
w^ords: ^' Of all things that exist, or that have ever ex- 
isted, nothing is so estimable and precious as the sacred 
humanity of Christ." For the bountiful hand of God 
endowed the human nature of His Son with treasures so 
rich and so innumerable of grace and virtue, of sanctity 
and wisdom— in a word, with such perfection, that noth- 
ing more or greater could be added to it. And this not 
because God's power in the bestowal of rare and price- 
less gifts is limited, but because Christ's human nature 
was incapable of receiving anything greater. The 
Mother of God is possessed of a beauty, holiness, and 
excellence that surpasses our conception, yet in compari- 
son to Christ's sacred humanity she is but as a burning 
torch to the midday sun. And on account of this su- 
preme excellence Christ's sacred humanity is adored not 
only by pious mortals, but by the holy angels upon 
earth; and in heaven it is also the object of unceasing 
adoration, second only to God Himself, in virtue of the 
exalted graces and perfections wherewith Christ, as the 
head of the human race, has invested His human nature 
in a degree surpassing that of any other creature. 

God, in His bounty and liberality, endowed the angels 
at their creation with great sanctity and other glorious 
attributes; He has also, out of pure charity, bestowed on 
many good people and eminent saints from their birth 



The Excellence of Holy Mass. Jl 

gifts and graces of no ordinary kind; above all, He con- 
ferred upon the Blessed Virgin Mary, both at her crea- 
tion and throughout her life, extraordinary graces, privi- 
leges, and perfections in great abundance. But in the 
sacred humanity of Christ all these gifts and graces meet 
together, besides other inestimable prerogatives and 
celestial favors without number, which the Holy Ghost 
implanted in it at its creation. Hence we may judge 
how noble, how excellent, how glorious beyond all com- 
prehension is Our Lord's humanity, and what an un- 
fathomable ocean of perfections it contains within itself. 

The most holy and exalted humanity of Christ is the 
precious oblation which the great High Priest, the only- 
begotten Son of God, daily in every Mass that is said, 
presents and offers up to the Most Holy Trinity. Nor 
does He offer this alone; with it He offers all that in this 
same sacred humanity He did and suffered during three 
and thirty years, to the greater honor and glory of the 
ever-blessed Trinity: all His fasts, vigils, prayers, jour- 
neyings; all His penances, preachings, mortifications; all 
the persecutions, calumny, contempt, the outrages to 
which He was exposed; the pains, the scourging, the 
crowning with thorns, the wounds, the torture and anguish 
He endured; His tears. His sweat of blood, the water that 
flowed from His side, and the crimson tide of His blood. 
All this Christ places before the Holy Trinity in every 
Mass that is celebrated, offering it up in no less valid a 
manner than He did when on earth in His holy life and 
bitter sufferings. 

But the essential value of this sacrifice consists in this, 
that Christ does not offer up His sacred humanity alone, 
but in union with His divinity. For although in the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass it is not the divinity but the 
humanity of Christ that is offered up to the Holy Trin- 
ity, yet the perfection wherewith this oblation is made is 



52 The Excellence of Holy Mass, 

owing to the hypostatic union. Through this union the 
humanity is divinized, enriched with endless treasures of 
grace, and given a worth beyond all price. Hence we 
conclude how inestimable is the sacrifice which the Re- 
deemer offers to the most high God in every Mass, 
since He offers up His sacred humanity in a marvellous 
and incomprehensible manner. 

Finally, we must not fail to observe that Christ does 
not offer up His humanity glorified as it is in heaven, 
but in the lowly form under which it is upon the altar. 
The angels in heaven tremble before the glorified 
humanity of Jesus Christ, and they are lost in amaze- 
ment when they behold the abasement of this same 
humanity upon our altars. Here it lies hidden, impris- 
oned, as it were, under the species of bread and wine. 
For so closely do these outward forms surround and con- 
ceal the sacred humanity of Our Lord that if they are 
moved to another place it is removed with them, and as 
long as the forms continue it remains present beneath 
them, no mortal power availing to separate it from them. 
Under so small, so humble, so lowly a form does Christ 
present Himself to the ever-blessed Trinity, offering 
Himself up in a manner which inspires all the heavenly 
host with profound admiration. 

What impression can we suppose to be made upon the 
ever-blessed Trinity by the sight of this humiliation of 
Christ's glorious humanity? Great honor accrues to the 
heavenly Father from this extreme abasement on the 
part of His well-beloved Son. It imparts great virtue to 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass, for that is the means 
whereby this divine mystery is accomplished. It is a 
source of salvation and of vast profit to mankind, for 
whose sake this most holy sacrifice is offered. It affords 
no slight solace and refreshment to the suffering souls in 
purgatory, for whose release Mass is frequently said. 



The Excellence of Holy Mass, 53 

This knowledge may serve to make us appreciate and 
value more highly the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and 
assist at it more frequently, with greater joy and deeper 
devotion. For the Masses offered daily are the weapons 
of divine grace, the fount of divine mercy, the sacrifice 
of atonement which is all-powerful, if we assist at it 
devoutly. On this account our heartfelt thanks are due 
to our adorable Saviour for having instituted for our 
sakes this efficacious and salutary sacrifice, wherein He 
offers Himself up for us daily, nay, hourly, to the Holy 
Trinity. We ought indeed to thank Him for having 
given us so powerful a weapon, whereby we may win 
divine graces, and, as it were, take by storm the citadel of 
His mercy. 

In order to impress more deeply upon our minds the 
excellence of the holy sacrifice of the Mass let us recol- 
lect how Christ Himself consecrated the Chapel of Our 
Lady in the church at Einsiedeln. It is related in the 
life of St. Meinrad that eighty years after the death of 
that pious recluse, at the request of Eberhard, a man of 
noble lineage, Conrad, Bishop of Constance, came to 
consecrate the Chapel of St. Meinrad. During the night 
preceding the day appointed for the ceremony, Conrad, 
going into the church to pray, heard the voices of the 
angelic choirs chanting the antiphons and responsories 
of the ritual for the dedication of churches. On entering 
the edifice he beheld Christ the Lord in person, clad in 
sacerdotal vestments, attended by multitudes of saints 
and angels, performing the ceremony of dedicating the 
chapel. At this wondrous sight the saintly bishop could 
hardly believe himself in possession of his senses. Yet 
he heard and saw distinctly all that went on, and ob- 
served that Christ made use of exactly the same formulas 
and ceremonies which are appointed to be employed by 
bishops in the consecration of a church, while some of 



54 The Excellence of Holy Mass, 

the saints acted as acolytes. The blessed Mother of 
God, in whose honor the altar and the chapel were con- 
secrated, appeared above the altar resplendent with 
celestial glory, brighter than the sun, more dazzling than 
the light. The dedication ended, Our Lord Himself 
offered the holy sacrifice. 

At the conclusion of the Mass all the heavenly com- 
pany vanished from sight, and the bishop was left alone, 
entranced with joy and spiritual delight. When he 
awoke from his rapture, the footsteps which he perceived 
in the ashes strewn upon the floor, and the walls anointed 
with chrism, testified to the reality of what he had 
seen. The next morning the clergy and people assem- 
bled, awaiting the commencement of the ceremony. 
But the bishop declared he could not dedicate the 
church, as this had already been done by the denizens of 
heaven. As, however, every one thought he was laboring 
under a delusion, he was compelled to begin to perform 
the ceremony, when he was arrested by a voice from on 
high, which said three times, in the hearing of all present: 
" Cease, brother, the chapel has been divinely conse- 
crated ! '* Thereupon St. Conrad desisted from his pur- 
pose, and sent a report of the miraculous occurrence to 
Rome. 

This marvellous story bears fresh witness to the sanc- 
tity of the holy Mass, since Our Lord Himself conde- 
scended to celebrate it. Would that we could have 
been with Bishop Conrad at that time, and could have 
witnessed what he witnessed ! What would have been 
our amazement, our delight, our devotion ! But at any 
rate we may rejoice in the knowledge that Christ cele- 
brated Mass in the same manner in which we are ac- 
customed to celebrate it, 



The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 55 



CHAPTER III. 

THE MYSTERIES OF HOLY MASS. 

TSTOW that I am about to speak of the mysteries of 
holy Mass, many and exalted as they are, I cannot 
but exclaim with David, the prophet king: ** Come and 
behold ye the works of the Lord: what wonders He hath 
done upon earth." (Ps. xlv. 9.) Many indeed are the 
wonders and signs Christ has done upon earth, but 
amongst them all He has done nothing greater or more 
marvellous than the institution of the holy Mass at the 
Last Supper. It is an epitome, so to speak, of all the 
wonders God has wrought, and in itself so replete with 
mysteries that St. Bonaventure does not hesitate to say 
of it: "The holy Mass is as full of mysteries as the 
ocean is full of drops, or as the sky is full of stars, and as 
the courts of heaven are full of angels. For in it so 
many mysteries are daily performed that I should be at 
a loss to say whethe'r greater or more lofty wonders have 
ever been accomplished by divine omnipotence." 

This statement does indeed appear strange and almost 
beyond belief. Can it really be true that the mysteries 
contained in the holy Mass cannot be numbered ? San- 
chez agrees with St. Bonaventure on this point, for he 
says: "In holy Mass we receive treasures so wonderful 
and so real, gifts so divine and so costly, benefits so 
many appertaining to this temporal life, hope so certain 
for the life which is to come, that without faith it would 
be impossible for us to believe these assertions to be the 
truth." By these words he means to say that the good 



56 The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 

things, both for the present and for the future, which we 
receive through holy Mass surpass our natural powers 
of belief; and did not God grant to us the gift of super- 
natural faith, by which we are enabled to believe what 
we cannot understand, we should never credit the in- 
estimable benefits we derive from holy Mass. The same 
writer adds: " Just as one may take from the sea or from 
a river all the water one needs, not only without exhaust- 
ing it, but even without in the least diminishing its vol- 
ume, so is it with the holy Mass. So immeasurably 
great is it that it can suffer no diminution, much less 
exhaustion of its plenitude." This comparison teaches 
us that holy Mass is an ocean of grace and glorious mys- 
teries, whence we may daily obtain all manner of good 
things both for our souls and our bodies. 

The following remarkable incident will serve to illus- 
trate what has just been said, and to kindle in the 
reader greater devotion toward holy Mass. We read in 
the life of St. John of Facundo, a noted member of the 
Augustinian Order, that he never on any account omitted 
saying Mass, and in fact, urged by his great longing to 
offer the holy sacrifice and receive Our Lord, he said it 
every morning at the earliest hour possible. He was, 
however, so slow in celebrating that the server used to 
go away and leave him at the altar, and at last no one 
could be got to serve his Mass. The saint then went to 
the prior, and entreated him to order the brothers to do 
so. But the prior spoke sharply to him, saying, ^^ Why 
do you give the brothers so much trouble by being so 
long over your Mass ? I shall rather enjoin upon you 
henceforth to say Mass like other priests." John did as 
he was commanded, but obedience cost him so much 
that he went again to the prior, and, throwing himself at 
his feet, begged him to withdraw his command. The 
prior would not consent to do this until John had con- 



The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 57 

fided to him, in confession, the reasons which made it 
impossible for him to say Mass more quickly. Having 
heard them, he no longer hesitated to tell the brothers 
that they must serve Father John's Mass, even though 
their patience was somewhat taxed. Furthermore, the 
prior, having obtained permission from the saint, com- 
municated his secret to another father, to whom he said: 
"You may believe me when I say that the reason why 
our Father John says Mass so slowly is because God 
reveals to him the profound mysteries that are accom- 
plished in the Mass — mysteries so sublime that no human 
intelligence is capable of grasping them. The secrets he 
disclosed to me concerning them were of so tremendous 
a nature that I was overwhelmed with awe, and almost 
swooned. It is certain that Christ frequently manifests 
Himself visibly to this father, speaking with him as one 
speaks to a friend, and showing him His five sacred 
wounds, whence proceeds a light of exceeding bright- 
ness, which, shed upon the saint, quickens both body 
and soul, so that he experiences no need of earthly 
nourishment. He also beholds the body of Christ shin- 
ing like the sun at noonday, and perceives its infinite 
beauty and glory. Such are the lofty and divine things 
he is privileged to know, mysteries which it is not given 
to man to fathom, much less to utter. Since I have 
thus been made aware of the immense benefits accruing 
to mankind by the celebrating or assisting at Mass I 
have made a firm resolution never to omit saying or 
hearing Mass, and to do my utmost to induce others to 
do the same." From these noteworthy words which the 
prior uttered we see clearly that solemn mysteries are 
contained in the holy Mass, and we ought to reverence 
it most profoundly. 

But before proceeding to explain these mysteries fur- 
ther I will next show how various types of the Old 



58 The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 

Testament are fulfilled and, as it were, renewed in the 
holy Mass. 

The first type of the holy sacrifice of the Mass was the 
sacrifice of the pious and just Abel, who offered a burnt- 
offering of the firstlings of his flock to the Lord his God, 
out of true devotion and as a recognition of his subjec- 
tion to the Divine Majesty. That this oblation was 
pleasing to Almighty God we learn from the words of 
Scripture: ^' The Lord had respect to Abel, and tc his 
offerings." (Gen. iv. 4.) Or, as it has been otherwise 
translated: " The Lord kindled Abel's sacrifice." That 
is to say, when the pious Abel had laid his oblation, to- 
gether with the wood, upon the altar, and by his prayers 
offered it up to God, fire descended from heaven, and 
consumed the flesh of the lamb that had been slaugh- 
tered. So it is in the holy sacrifice of the Mass; when 
the priest has offered the oblation of bread and wine 
upon the altar, and pronounced the words of consecra- 
tion over them, the Holy Ghost, the divine fire, descends 
from heaven and consumes the oblation of bread and 
wine, changing it into the true body and blood of Christ. 
Abel's sacrifice found favor in the sight of God Almighty; 
the Christian sacrifice is incomparably more pleasing in 
His eyes. For when the officiating priest elevates the 
host and offers it up to God, the heavenly Father utters 
the same words which He spoke at the baptism of Jesus: 
" This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." 
(St. Matt. iii. 17.) 

The second type of the holy sacrifice of the Mass was 
the sacrifice offered by the patriarch Noe, of which we 
read in Holy Scripture: "Noe built an altar unto the 
Lord, and taking of all cattle and fowls that were clean, 
offered holocausts upon the altar. And the Lord smelled 
a sweet savor, and said: I will no more curse the earth 
for the sake of man," (Gen. viii. 20, 21.) Now if 



The Mysteries of Holy Mass, 59 

Noe's sacrifice was so acceptable to God that His wrath 
was appeased, and He promised no more to destroy the 
earth with a deluge, how much more acceptable to Him 
will the sacrifice of the priest of the New Testament be, 
wherein His only Son is offered as a sweet victim. 

Wc find a third type of the holy sacrifice of the Mass 
in the various sacrifices of the holy patriarch Abraham, 
who once offered his son Isaac, and of whom it is fre- 
quently said in Holy Scripture: ^^ Abraham built also an 
altar to the Lord, and called upon His name." (Gen. 
xii. 8.) The same is likewise said of Isaac and Jacob, 
who were faithful servants of God, and, like all His ser- 
vants, were wont to offer burnt-offerings and sacrifices 
unto the Lord of lords. All priests of the New Testa- 
ment have been imitators of the great patriarchs of old, 
and have closely followed their example by devoutly 
offering to the supreme Deity, at different times and in 
different places, the most acceptable sacrifice of the holy 
Mass. This practice is continued unto the present day 
with even greater zeal, since it is now customary for every 
priest who is truly devout to offer the holy sacrifice to 
God daily. 

The fourth type of the holy Mass was the sacrifice of 
Melchisedech, the king and high priest, who, when the 
patriarch Abraham returned victorious from the slaughter 
of his enemies, as an act of thanksgiving offered to God 
Almighty a new oblation, consisting of bread and wine, 
presented with special forms and ceremonies. Melchise- 
dech is pointed out in Holy Scripture as a type of Christ, 
as was said in the first chapter of this book. 

The sacrifice offered by Aaron and all other priests of 
the Mosaic law formed a fifth type of the holy sacrifice 
cf the Mass. Before the institution of this law, which 
was given by God Himself, the just men of the Old 
Testament, guided by the light of nature, had offered 



6o The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 

holocausts and burnt-offerings to God. In the law of 
Moses God appointed three kinds of sacrifices to be 
offered to Him by the whole Jewish nation. These were 
burnt-offerings, peace-offerings, and sin-offerings. Two 
lambs without blemish were to be immolated to Him 
daily in the temple at Jerusalem. These sacrifices of the 
Jews lasted until the time of Christ, and all clearly fore- 
shadowed the sacrifice of the cross. After the death of 
Christ they ceased; for the Jewish sacrifices were merged 
in the Christian, that is, in the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass. 

All these ancient sacrifices, especially the sacrifices of 
Abel, Abraham, and the high priest Melchisedech, re- 
ceive special mention in the Mass. After the Consecra- 
tion the priest says: '* We offer unto Thy most excellent 
majesty the holy bread of eternal life, and the chalice of 
eternal salvation. Upon which vouchsafe to look with 
a propitious and serene countenance, and to accept them, 
as Thou wert graciously pleased to accept the gift of 
Thy just servant x\bel, and the sacrifice of our patriarch 
Abraham, and that which Thy high priest Melchisedech 
offered to Thee, a holy sacrifice, an immaculate host." 
By these words of her liturgy the Church declares with 
sufficient plainness that the sacrifices of the Old Testa- 
ment were types of the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and as 
such were acceptable and pleasing to the most high God. 

Some devout Catholics, and many who are not Cath- 
olics, take exception at this prayer, and are even scan- 
dalized by it, because they consider it to imply that the 
priest calls upon God graciously to accept his sacrifice 
in the same manner in which He vouchsafed to accept 
the sacrifices of Abel, Abraham, and Melchisedech; 
whereas it cannot be denied that the sacrifice of the 
Mass, in which the sacred body and blood of Christ are 
offered to God the Father, is far more pleasing to Him 



The Mysteries of Holy Mas^. 6i 

than the animals or the bread and wine offered to Him 
by the patriarchs of old. It must, however, by no means 
be overlooked that the priest does not beseech God 
Almighty to look propitiously upon the victim he is 
offering, because that which he offers to Him, Jesus 
Christ, His well-beloved Son, is incomparably more pre- 
cious in His sight than any created being. All that the 
priest asks of God is that He will graciously accept this 
sacrifice, the way and manner in which he offers it, in 
other words, the devotion with whicn he celebrates Mass, 
just as He accepted the worship paid to Him when Abel, 
Abraham, and Melchisedech offered sacrifices. Thus 
the point in question is not the worthiness of the victim, 
for that is beyond dispute, but the devotion of the offici- 
ating minister and of the congregation who unite their 
prayers to his. 

In regard to the mysteries of holy Mass, it must above 
all be borne in mind that the principal mysteries of Our 
Lord's life and passion are represented and set before us 
in it. David foretells this when in his prophetic spirit 
he says: ^^ He hath made a remembrance of His wonder- 
ful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord." (Ps. 
ex.. 4). And in order that we may have no doubt that 
in this passage he refers to the sacrifice of the Mass upon 
our altars, he says in another psalm: ^* I will compass 
Thy altar, O Lord, that I may hear the voice of Thy praise, 
and tell of all Thy wondrous works." (Ps. xxv. 6, 7.) 
The same is signified by Christ when, at the institution 
of the Holy Eucharist, He said to His apostles: " Do 
this for a commemoration of Me"; just as if He would 
say: Since the time is now approaching when, after ac- 
complishing the redemption of mankind, I shall leave you 
and go to My heavenly Father, I institute the holy Mass 
as the one sacrifice of the New Testament, wherein all 
the mysteries of My whole life and of My passion are 



62 The Mysteries of Holy Mass, 

represented, and placed before the eyes of alt believers, 
in order that you may never forget Me, but have Me ever 
in your remembrance. 

We will now prove the truth of these words, and briefly 
explain how all the mysteries of Christ's life and passion 
are contained in the Mass. First of all, the adorable 
mystery of the incarnation is not merely represented, 
but actually repeated. For just as the Blessed Virgin 
Mary offered herself to God, body and soul, to be instru- 
mental in the incarnation of the Son of God, and, by the 
operation of the Holy Ghost, the Word was in her made 
flesh, so the priest offers to the heavenly Father bread 
and wine, which, when the words of consecration are 
uttered, are changed by the power of the Holy Ghost into 
the true body and blood of Christ. Thus the divine 
mystery of the incarnation is renewed, and the priest as 
truly holds Christ in his hands as the Mother of God 
bore Him in her virginal body. Is not this the greatest 
and most astounding of miracles ? 

In like manner the adorable mystery of the birth of 
Jesus Christ is renewed and clearly placed before us in 
the holy Mass. For just as Christ derived His human 
existence from the Blessed Virgin, so in the Mass, at 
the word of the priest. He again comes upon earth in the 
garb of humanity, and the celebrant, when the last words 
of the prayer of consecration have passed his lips, actu- 
ally holds God made man in his anointed hands. In 
proof of this, kneeling, he humbly adores his God and 
his Creator; he reverently elevates Him, displaying Him 
with joy to the assembled people. Just as the blessed 
Mother of God showed her new-born infant, wrapped in 
swaddling-clothes, to the simple shepherds who came to 
adore Him, so the priest holds up that same infant 
Christ, not, indeed, wrapped in swaddling-clothes, but con- 
cealed under the form of bread, to the sight of the people, 



The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 63 

that they may see and worship Him as their Lord and 
their God. And those who do this with heartfelt love 
and reverence perform a greater act of faith than did 
the pious shepherds; for they, beholding with their eyes 
the humanity of Christ, believed in His divinity, whereas 
we only see the outward forms of bread and wine, and yet 
firmly believe that both the divinity and humanity of 
Christ are concealed beneath them. 

In holy Mass that same child is also present Who was 
adored by the three kings, taken by Simeon in his arms, 
and presented by the blessed Mother of God in the 
temple to the Eternal Father. We can imitate the ex- 
ample of those holy personages, and offer to Christ ac- 
ceptable worship, and merit an everlasting reward. 
Furthermore, we hear Christ proclaiming to us by the 
mouth of the priest His holy gospel, to the profit and 
salvation of our souls. As the Mass proceeds we behold 
Him exercising His miraculous power, transforming wine 
into His sacred blood, a miracle far greater than that of 
Cana, where He changed water into wine. Or we see 
Him, as at the Last Supper, changing the elements of 
bread and wine into His very flesh and blood. Finally, 
at the elevation we see Christ lifted up upon the cross; 
with the ears of our spiritual sense we hear Him inter- 
ceding for us: " Father, forgive them, for they know not 
what they do." (St. Luke xxiii. 34.) They know not, 
that is, how deeply they have outraged Thy divine 
majesty by their transgressions. We do not, it is true, 
behold all these things with our bodily eyes, we discern 
them by the light of supernatural faith, and by this our 
faith we merit a greater recompense than did those who 
witnessed them with the organs of the body. This we 
know on the authority of Our Lord Himself, Who said: 
" Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed.** 
(St. John XX. 29.) The higher and more incompre- 



64 The Mysteries of Holy Mass, 

hensible are these mysteries the more meritorious is our 
faith, and the greater will be our reward in heaven. In 
regard to this Father Sanchez writes: '' If Christians did 
but know how to profit by these things, they might, by 
hearing one single Mass, acquire a greater store of riches 
than could be found in all created things." 

Furthermore, in holy Mass Christ fulfils that most true 
and consoling promise which is recorded by the evangel- 
ist St. Matthew: '^ Behold, I am with you all days, even 
to the consummation of the world." (St. Matt, xxviii. 
20.) These words are not to be understood as referring 
only to His divinity, in virtue of which He is every- 
where present, but also to His sacred humanity, in which 
He dwells among us, present in the Mass and in the 
adorable Sacrament of the Altar, ready at all times to 
listen to our prayers, to afford us assistance in our need. 
It must, noreover, be observed that in the Mass Christ 
is not merely present in person, as in the adorable Sacra- 
ment of the Altar : He is there as our victim, our media- 
tor, as the atonement for our sins. For since Christ ex- 
ercises in the Mass His sacerdotal functions, by right of 
His office it belongs to Him, as St. Paul says: " That He 
may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins " (Heb. v. i); 
that He may, that is, offer up Himself to His heavenly 
Father for the sins of the people, as He offered Himself 
up to Him upon the cross. 

What are the chief reasons, it may be asked, why Our 
Saviour will be with us day and night until the consum- 
mation of the world ? 

1. Because He is the head of His Church, and the 
members of that Church are His spiritual body; and 
since the body cannot be in heaven with its head, it is 
fitting that the head should remain on earth with the 
body. 

2. Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is His 



The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 65 

bride, to whom He is united far more closely than any 
earthly spouses can be united; consequently His love 
impels Him to remain continually with His beloved bride. 
St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, beautifully de- 
scribes the nature of the love that Christ bears to His 
spouse: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also 
loved the Church, and delivered Himself up for it, that 
He might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water 
in the word of life, that he might present it to Himself a 
glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such 
thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." 
(Eph. V. 25-27.) Through holy Baptism we are made 
members of the Church, and adorned beautifully as are the 
angels. The love of Christ for a soul that is pure far 
exceeds that of any earthly bridegroom for his bride, 
however fair she may be. And therefore He cannot 
bear to be separated from her, but declares that He will 
abide with her until the end of the world. It is, how- 
ever, in an invisible manner that Christ abides with His 
Church, His bride. His union with her belongs not to 
the material, but to the spiritual, order, and is effected 
by faith, as He tells us in the words of the prophet Osee: 
"I will betroth thee to Me forever; and I will betroth 
thee to Me in justice, and judgment, and loving kindness 
and tender mercies. And I will betroth thee to Me in 
faith, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord." (Osee ii. 
19, 20.) Now, as Christ espouses the Church to Himself 
in faith. He must needs remain hidden, in order that His 
bride, that is, the souls of the faithful, may have oppor- 
tunity for the exercise of faith, and thereby earn a rich 
reward in heaven. 

3. Since Jesus Christ is the bridegroom of the Church, 
it is fitting that He should guide and govern His spouse, 
that He should provide for her sustenance, that He 
should interest Himself in her safety and her welfare. 



66 The Mysteries of Holy Mass, 

This, and much more besides, He does in holy Mass and 
in the sacraments, thereby proving Himself to be a fond 
and faithful lover, who allows His spouse to lack noth- 
ing that is needful for her in time and in eternity. 

Remember, O Christian, if thou livest in mortal sin 
thou art a prey of the devil, a slave of Satan. Whereas 
if thou art in a state of grace, thou art the spouse of 
Jesus Christ, beloved by Him, amply provided by Him 
with all the means that are conducive to thy salvation. 
How numerous are the graces and benefits this loving 
bridegroom offers to thee in holy Mass ! How numerous 
the means He places within thy reach of acquiring virtue, 
of insuring thy salvation ] Every time thou hearest 
Mass in a state of grace, with devout attention and in a 
spirit of recollection, Our Lord, of His loving kindness, 
makes thee to participate in no less than seventy-seven 
graces and fruits. Well mayst thou marvel at this; it is, 
however, true, as we shall proceed to show. An enumera- 
tion of these graces may, perhaps, assist thee to believe 
in and recognize them. 

SEVENTY-SEVEN GRACES AND FRUITS TO BE DERIVED 
FROM DEVOUT ATTENDANCE AT HOLY MASS. 

1. For thy salvation God the Father sends His beloved 
Son down from heaven. 

2. For thy salvation the Holy Spirit changes bread and 
wine into the true body and blood of Christ. 

3. For thy sake the Son of God comes down from 
heaven and conceals Himself under the form of the 
sacred host. 

4. He even abases Himself to such an extent as to 
be present in the minutest particle of the sacred host. 

5. For thy salvation He renews the saving mystery of 
the incarnation. 



The Mysteries of Holy Mass, 67 

6. For thy salvation He is born anew into the world 
in a mystic manner whenever holy Mass is celebrated. 

7. For thy salvation he performs upon the altar the 
same acts of worship that He performed when on earth. 

8. For thy salvation He renews His bitter passion 
in order that thou mayst participate in it. 

9. For thy salvation He mystically renews His death, 
and sacrifices for thee His precious life. 

10. For thy salvation He sheds His blood in a mystic 
manner, and offers it up for thee to the Divine Majesty. 

11. With this precious blood He sprinkles thy soul, 
and purifies it from every stain. 

12. For thee Christ offers Himself as a true burnt- 
offering, and renders to the Godhead the supreme honor 
which is its due. 

15. By offering this act of worship to God thou dost 
make reparation for the glory which thou hast failed to 
give Him. 

14. For thee Christ offers Himself to God as a sacri- 
fice of praise, thus atoning for thy omissions in praising 
His holy name. 

15. By offering to God this oblation which Christ 
offers thou givest Him greater praise than do the holy 
angels. 

16. For thee Christ offers Himself as a perfect sacri- 
fice of thanksgiving, making compensation for all fail- 
ures on thy part to render thanks, 

17. By offering to God Christ's act of thanksgiving 
thou dost make ample acknowledgment of all the bene- 
fits He has bestowed on thee. 

18. For thee Christ offers Himself as the all-powerful 
victim, reconciling thee to the God Whom thou hast 
offended. 

19. He pardons thee all thy venial sins, provided thou 
art firmly resolved to forsake them. 



68 The Mysteries of Holy Mass, 

20. He also makes reparation for many of thy sins of 
omission, when thou didst leave undone the good thou 
mightest have done. 

21. He removes many of the imperfections attaching 
to thy good deeds. 

22. He forgives thee the sins, unknown or forgotten, 
which thou hast never mentioned in confession. 

23. He offers Himself as a victim to make satisfac- 
tion for a part at least of thy debts and transgressions. 

24. Each time thou hearest Mass thou canst do more 
to pay the penalty due to thy sins than by the severest 
work of penance. 

25. Christ places to thy credit a portion of His merits, 
which thou mayst offer to God the Father in expiation 
of thy offences. 

26. For thee Christ offers Himself as the most effica- 
cious peace-offering, interceding for thee as earnestly as 
He interceded for His enemies on the cross. 

27. His precious blood pleads for thee in words as 
countless as the drops which issued from His sacred 
veins. 

28. Each of the adorable wounds His sacred body 
bore is a voice calling aloud for mercy for thee. 

29. For the sake of this propitiatory victim the peti- 
tions proffered during Mass will be granted far sooner 
than those that are proffered at other times. 

30. Never canst thou pray so well as whilst present at 
Mass. 

31. This is so because Christ unites His prayers to 
thine, and offers them to His heavenly Father. 

32. He acquaints Him with thy needs and the dan- 
gers to which thou art exposed, and makes thy eternal 
salvation His particular concern. 

33. The angels also, who are present, plead for thee, 
and present thy poor prayers before the throne of God. 



The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 69 

34. On thy behalf the priest says Mass, by virtue of 
which the evil enemy will not be suffered to approach 
thee. 

35. For thee and for thy everlasting salvation he says 
Mass, and offers that holy sacrifice to God Almighty. 

36. When thou hearest Mass, thou art thyself in 
spirit a priest, empowered by Christ to offer the Mass 
both for thyself and others. 

37. By offering this holy sacrifice thou dost present 
to the Blessed Trinity the most acceptable of all oblations. 

38. Thou dost offer an oblation precious indeed, of 
greater value than all things in heaven and earth. 

39. Thou dost offer an oblation precious indeed, for it 
is none other than God Himself. 

40. By this sacrifice thou dost honor God as He 
alone is worthy to be honored. 

41. By this sacrifice thou dost give infinite satisfac- 
tion to the Most Holy Trinity. 

42. Thou mayst present this glorious oblation as thine 
own gift, for Christ Himself gave it unto thee. 

43. When thou hearest Mass aright, thou dost per- 
form an act of highest worship. 

44. By hearing Mass thou dost pay the most profound 
reverence, the most loyal homage, to the sacred human- 
ity of Our Lord. 

45. It is the best means whereby to venerate the pas- 
sion of Christ, and obtain a share in its fruits. 

46. It is also the best means of venerating the blessed 
Mother of God, and increasing her joy. 

47. By hearing Mass thou canst give greater honor to 
the angels and saints than by reciting many prayers. 

48. By hearing Mass devoutly thou canst also enrich 
thy soul more than by aught else in the world. 

49. For in this act thou dost perform a good work of 
the highest value. 



yo The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 

50. It is a signal exercise of pure faith, which will re- 
ceive a great reward. 

51. When thou dost bow down before the sacred host 
and the sacred chalice, thou dost perform a supreme act 
of adoration. 

52. For each time that thou dost gaze reverently 
upon the sacred host thou wilt receive a recompense in 
heaven. 

53. Each time thou dost smite thy breast with com- 
punction some of thy sins are remitted to thee. 

54. If thou hearest Mass in a state of mortal sin, God 
offers thee the grace of conversion. 

55. If thou hearest Mass in a state of grace, God gives 
thee an augmentation of grace. 

56. In holy Mass thou dost spiritually eat the flesh of 
Christ, and drink His blood. 

57. Thou art privileged to behold with thine eyes 
Christ hidden under the sacramental veil, and to be be- 
held by Him. 

58. Thou dost receive the priest's benediction, which 
is confirmed by Christ in heaven. 

59. Through thy diligence in hearing Mass thou wilt 
also obtain corporal and temporal blessings. 

60. Furthermore, thou wilt be preserved from many 
misfortunes that would otherwise befall thee. 

61. Thou wilt also be strengthened against tempta- 
tions which would otherwise have vanquished thee. 

62. Holy Mass will also be to thee a means of obtain- 
ing the grace of a holy death. 

63. The love thou hast shown for holy Mass will 
secure for thee the special succor of angels and saints in 
thy last moments. 

64. The remembrance of the Masses heard in thy life- 
time will be a sweet solace to thee in the hour of deathj 
and inspire thee with confidence in the divine mercy. 



The Mysteries of Holy Mass. 7 1 

65. They will not be forgotten when thou dost stand 
before the strict Judge, and will incline Him to show 
thee favor. 

66. Thou needest not fear a long and terrible purgatory 
if thou hast already to a great extent atoned for thy sins 
by frequently assisting at holy Mass. 

67. One Mass devoutly heard will do more to mitigate 
the pains of purgatory than any act of penance, however 
difficult of performance. 

68. One Mass in thy lifetime will be of greater service 
to thee than many said for thee after death. 

69. Thou wilt attain a high place in heaven, which 
will be thine to all eternity. 

70. Thy felicity in heaven will, moreover, be increased 
by every Mass thou hearest on earth. « 

71. No prayers offered for thy friends will be as effica- 
cious as a single Mass heard and offered on their behalf. 

72. Thou canst amply recompense all thy benefactors 
by hearing Mass for their intention. 

73. The best help, the greatest consolation, thou canst 
afford the afflicted, the sick, the dying, is to hear Mass 
for them. 

74. By this same means thou canst even obtain for 
sinners the grace of conversion. 

75. Thou canst also earn for all faithful Christians 
saving and salutary graces. 

76. For the suffering souls in purgatory thou canst 
procure abundant refreshment. 

77. And if it is not within thy power to have Mass 
said for thy departed friends thou canst by devout as- 
sistance at the holy sacrifice release them from the tor- 
menting flames. 

What dost thou now think of holy Mass, O Christian ? 
Can it be supposed that in the whole world there is any 
Other good work whereby so many graces and fruits arQ 



72 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His hicarnation, 

placed within our reach ? It is no longer possible to 
question the truth of the words of Father Sanchez 
quoted above: "If Christians only knew how to profit by 
holy Mass, they might acquire greater riches than are to 
be found in all the things God has created." We have 
indeed a precious storehouse in the Mass: happy he who 
can earn treasures so great at the cost of so little labor I 
Who would willingly miss Mass ? Who would not de- 
light in hearing it ? Let us resolve never to lose an op- 
portunity of hearing Mass, provided the duties of our 
state of life do not prevent us from doing so. 

To omit hearing Mass daily merely from carelessness 
or indolence would be a proof that we were either igno- 
rant of, or indifferent to, the divine treasures it contains. 
God»grant that those who read this book may in future 
appreciate more fully this pearl of great price, value it 
more highly, seek it more diligently ! 



CHAPTER IV. 

IN THE HOLY MASS CHRIST RENEWS HIS 
INCARNATION. 

T N the preceding chapter the mysteries of holy Mass 
were but slightly touched upon; we will now take 
each in turn, examining it more closely and explaining it 
more fully. 

The sublime mystery of the incarnation is the first to 
claim our attention. I will begin by adducing the testi- 
mony of the learned and pious Marchantius to prove 
that every time Mass is said the incarnation of the Son 
of God is renewed. He writes: " What is the Mass if not 
a forcible and complete representation, nay, renewal, of 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Incar?tatio?i. 73 

the incarnation, the birth, the life, the sufferings, and the 
death of Christ, and the redemption that He wrought ? " 
With this statement, wonderful as it is, and almost past 
our comprehension, some persons will perhaps not agree. 
In order, therefore, to prove beyond doubt that it is true 
we will proceed to show, in this chapter, after what man- 
ner Christ becomes incarnate anew whenever holy Mass 
is celebrated. 

We know how great, how vast, how inexpressible was 
the benefit God in His loving kindness bestowed on 
mankind when the Eternal Word, for the sake of man and 
of his salvation, came down from heaven, by the opera- 
tion of the Holy Ghost became incarnate in the womb 
of the Virgin Mary, and took upon Himself our human 
nature. This incomprehensible mystery it is which the 
priest adores when, in the Creed, at the words: Et incur- 
natus est (^^ He was made man "), he does not merely bow 
his head: he bends his knee in reverent awe, returning 
thanks to the Giver of all good for vouchsafing thus 
deeply to abase Himself. 

Holy Church in her wisdom has ordained that every 
year, throughout the season of Advent, all the faithful 
should meditate upon this infinite benefit, devoutly 
adore the mystery of the incarnation, and render thanks 
to God for His goodness, as is indeed our bounden duty. 
For in thus becoming incarnate Christ won for us such 
great graces, in His human body He did and suffered so 
much for us, that eternity will not be long enough to 
render Him the thanks that are His due. 

But, marvel of marvels, Christ did not content Him- 
self with merely becoming man once for all. In order 
daily and hourly to renew and increase the satisfaction 
which His Eternal Father and the Holy Ghost have, 
before all time, derived from the contemplation of this 
mystery, in the fulness of His divine ^visdom He devised 



74 I^T' ih^ Holy Mass Christ Renews His Incarnatiofiy 

and instituted the sublime mystery of the Mass, in 
which His incarnation is renewed as definitely as if in 
reality it again took place; nay, it does actually take 
place again, although in a mystic manner. For this we 
have the authority of the Catholic Church, for in the 
secret prayers for the ninth Sunday after Pentecost we 
read: " As often as the remembrance of this victim is 
celebrated, so often is the work of our redemption car- 
ried on." The words are not: So often is the work of 
our redemption represented, but, So often is the work of 
our redemption carried on. And what is this work of 
our redemption but the incarnation, the birth, the pas- 
sion, and the death of Jesus Christ ? all of which are in 
reality accomplished and renewed every time the Mass is 
celebrated. 

To this St. Augustine also bears testimony. *^ How 
great the dignity of a priest," he says, " in whose hands 
Christ again becomes man ! O celestial mystery, 
wrought in so marvellous a manner by God the Father 
and by the Holy Ghost through the instrumentality of 
the priest ! " St. John Damascene says: " If I am asked 
how bread is changed into the body of Christ, I answer: 
The Holy Ghost overshadows the priest, and operates 
that in the elements which He effected in the womb of 
the Virgin Mary." Again, we find the same clearly 
stated by St. Bonaventure in these words: " God appears 
to do no less a thing when He deigns daily to descend 
from heaven upon our altars than He did when He 
came down from heaven and took upon Himself our 
human nature." These remarkable words of the se- 
raphic doctor, the meaning of which it is impossible to 
mistake, warrant us in asserting that Christ performs as 
great a miracle in every Mass that is celebrated as He 
did when He became man, more than 1800 years ago. 

This is confirmed by the Ven. Alanus de Rupe, who 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Incarnation. 75 

puts the following words into the mouth of the Saviour: 
** As I once beca^ie man at the sound of the angelic 
salutation, so in each Mass I again become man after a 
sacramental manner." That is, as the Divine Word be- 
came flesh through the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost 
when the Ave Maria was spoken, so the same Divine 
Word, when the words of consecration are uttered, be- 
comes man in the hands of the priest, in a different man- 
ner, it is true, but through the self-same divine power. 

Here we may well exclaim with St. Augustine: " How 
great is the dignity of a priest, in whose hands God again 
becomes man ! " How great, we may add, is the dignity 
of the Catholic, for whose salvation Christ Jesus daily 
in holy Mass again becomes man in a mystic manner ! 
This enables us to understand what Holy Scripture says: 
" God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten 
Son.'* (St. John iii. 16.) O sweet consolation for us 
miserable mortals to know that the love of our God for 
us is so great that every day He comes down from 
heaven again, and again becomes incarnate for our sake ! 
How we ought to rejoice in the solace thus afforded 
us ! 

In the hriitation we find the following passage: "As 
often as thou sayest or hearest Mass it ought to seem 
to thee as great, as new, and as delightful as if Christ, 
that same day first descending into the womb of the 
Virgin, had been made man." (Bk. iv. ch. 2.) What 
inexpressible comfort it would afford us if Christ now for 
the first time became man, if we heard that the divine 
Child would be born of His holy Mother ! Who but 
would hasten with joy to worship the Christ, to implore 
of Him grace and mercy ? Then why*, since He becomes 
man in a mystic manner upon our altars, do we not hasten 
no less gladly to hear Mass, implore no less earnestly 
His mercy and pardon ? It is because we have no 



^6 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Incarnation, 

living faith, and consequently no true appreciation of 
this great gift of God. 

We will now consider in what wise Christ renews His 
incarnation, and what are the wonders He works in this 
act. Our religion teaches us that when the priest holds 
the host in his hands previous to the consecration he 
holds nothing but a piece of bread; but as soon as he 
pronounces the words of consecration, at that same mo- 
ment the host is changed by divine power into the true 
body of Christ. And since without blood the body can- 
not live, so the blood of Christ is also present in His 
sacred body. Thus in the place of the bread which a 
moment before the priest held in his hands he now 
holds Jesus Christ, the Son of the most high God. This 
is indeed a mystery exceeding great, a miracle beyond 
all understanding, in which not one alone but many and 
great ones are contained. 

Is it not a wonder beyond all wonders that bread can 
become the real body of Jesus Christ, and wine His true 
blood ? Is it not a wonder beyond wonders that al- 
though the bread and the wine are no longer present, the 
outward forms of both bread and wine remain ? They 
retain the shape, the color, the taste they possessed 
before the consecration. Is it not a wonder beyond all 
wonders that these outward forms, or accidents, remain, 
independent of all else, and preserved only by super- 
natural means ? It is no less a miracle than if all the 
walls of a house were to fall away, and the roof to re- 
remain suspended in the air without any support. Is it 
not a wonder beyond all wonders that Christ can reduce 
His human body into so small a compass as to be con- 
tained within a little host, nay, within the most minute 
particle of one ? 

All these and many other great miracles which will 
not be enumerated here are wrought by Christ in every 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Incarnatio7t, "j^ 

Mass at the moment of the consecration for our sal- 
vation. The benefits He thereby confers upon us are 
immeasurably vast. This was made known to St. Ger- 
trude, as we read in her revelations. On one occasion 
when she was hearing Mass, just before the consecra- 
tion, bowing down to the ground, she said to Our Lord: 
" O sweet Jesus, the work which Thou art about to ac- 
complish is so inestimable, so surpassingly sacred and 
sublime, that one so abject and lowly as I am may not 
dare to look upon it. I will, therefore, take refuge in 
the lowest depths of humility, and there await my share 
of the salvation which this mystery is to bring to all Thy 
elect." Thereupon Our Lord answered her: *^ If thou 
wert to direct all thy hardest labors and toils in My ser- 
vice to this end, namely, that this sacrifice, which is 
profitable for all Christians, whether living or dead, 
may have an effect proportionate to its great dignity, 
thou wouldst greatly assist Me in the work that I have 
to accomplish." 

In like manner we should consider, before the conse- 
cration, how extraordinary a miracle God works upon 
the altar for our salvation, and awaken within our hearts 
a lively desire that by our cooperation the sacrifice at 
which we are assisting may be for the greater glory of 
God, and for the good of the faithful. To this end w^e 
may pray in the words of St. Gertrude: 

" O sweet Jesus, the w^ork which Thou art about to 
accomplish is so sublime that one so lowly and abject as 
I am may not dare to look upon it. I will therefore take 
refuge in the abyss of my own nothingness, and will there 
await my share of the salvation which this mystery is 
about to bring to all Thy elect. Would to God, O sweet 
Jesus, that I could cooperate in this glorious work ! 
How gladly would I spend all my strength and endure 
the heaviest toils in order that this sacrifice, which is 



yS In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His IncarnaiioH, 

offered for all Christians both living and dead, may be 
productive of results proportionate to its great dignity. 
I beseech Thee to grant Thy grace to all who say or 
who hear Mass, that they may offer the most holy sac- 
rifice to Thy greater glory and for the benefit of all the 
faithful. Amen." 

We will now proceed to consider how vast is the au- 
thority conferred by Christ, not upon angels, but upon 
men, when He empowers the priest to perform the great- 
est of miracles with a few short words, to change the 
bread and wine into His sacred body and blood. Con- 
cerning this the Ven. Alanus de Rupe says: *^ So great 
is the power of God the Father that He could call the 
heavens and the earth into being out of nothing; so 
great is the power of the priest that he can call down 
the Son of God Himself to be a sacrifice and a sacra- 
ment, and can dispense to mankind by means of this 
sacrifice and this sacrament the treasures the Saviour 
won for them. Herein consists to a great extent the 
majesty of God, the joy of His blessed Mother; this 
forms the felicity of the blessed, the surest help of the 
living, the chief solace of the souls in purgatory." 

Wonderful and admirable indeed is the mighty power 
of the words of consecration, the renewal of Christ's 
incarnation in the hands of the priest ! Rejoice, more- 
over, and exult that we are privileged, in the holy sacrifice 
of the Mass, as we know on the authority of Christ 
Himself, to magnify our heavenly Father, to cause great 
joy to our blessed Lady and all the saints in glory. 
Holy Mass is, besides, the best help of the living, the 
sweetest consolation of the departed. 

Here, again, we may exclaim: " God so loved the 
world as to give His only-begotten Son, that whosoever 
believeth in Him may not perish, but may have life 
everlasting." (St. John iii. i6.) God first manifested 



/;/ the Holy Mass Christ Renews His hicarnaiion. 79 

this unspeakable love to the world when He sent His 
Son from heaven to take upon Himself the nature of 
man. He now daily manifests anew this same love by- 
sending His Son from heaven again to become man in 
the Mass. And as His first incarnation caused joy in 
heaven and brought salvation to earth, so is it with 
His daily incarnation upon the altar. By His first incar- 
nation Christ earned treasures inestimable of divine 
grace: by the renewal of that incarnation He distributes 
those celestial riches to all those who say or hear Mass 
devoutly. The following example will illustrate this: 

It is recorded in the annals of the Franciscan Order 
that blessed John of Alvernio was accustomed to say 
Mass with extraordinary devotion, so much so that he 
often experienced an ineffable sweetness almost too 
great for his frail powers to endure. On one occasion, 
when he had to sing the High Mass on the feast of the 
Assumption, no sooner had he begun the Mass than his 
soul was flooded with bliss so rapturous that he feared 
he should be unable to finish the function. It was as he 
anticipated. For when he got to the consecration, and 
the exceeding greatness of the love of Christ was borne 
in upon him, which impelled Him to come down from 
heaven to assume human nature, and which still contin- 
ually impels Him to renew the same act in holy Mass, 
the heart of the good priest melted within him, his 
strength forsook him, and he was unable to finish the 
prayer of consecration. The father guardian, perceiving 
this, hastened to the altar with another father to assist 
him to finish the consecration. The other monks and 
the rest of the congregation were much alarmed, for they 
thought the priest had suddenly been taken ill. At 
length, putting a great force upon himself, he finished 
the words of consecration. And behold! the host he 
held in his hands was changed into the form of a smiling 



8o hi the Holy Mass C/irzst Renews His Incarnation, 

infant, and blessed John saw the divine Child as a newly- 
born babe resting in his priestly hands. At that moment 
so keen an appreciation was given him of the profound 
humility of Our Lord in becoming man for us, and daily 
renewing His incarnation, that this knowledge was too 
much for him, his forces gave way, and he would have 
fallen had not the father guardian and some of his 
brethren supported him in their arms. Nevertheless he 
contrived to proceed with the Mass until the communion. 
But when he received the consecrated elements he be- 
came completely unconscious, and had to be carried into 
the sacristy, where for some hours he lay like one dead. 
In fact the people already began to lament and bewail 
his loss. When he came to himself again, his brethren 
entreated him for the love of God to tell them what had 
happened thus to overwhelm him at the altar. Unable 
to resist their impprtunity, he answered: '' When, imme- 
diately before the consecration, I thought upon the love 
of Christ, which once in time past induced Him to be- 
come man, and induces Him daily to become anew in- 
carnate in holy Mass, I felt my heart melt like wax, and 
my limbs lose their power, so that I could not stand up- 
right, or pronounce the words of the prayer. And when, 
by a great effort, I uttered them I saw in my hands no 
longer the sacred host, but a lovely child, the very sight 
of which pierced my soul and consumed my bodily 
strength, so that I swooned away, and fell into a sweet 
ecstasy of love/* This is what the father related to his 
pious hearers, to make known to them the unfathomable 
love of Our Lord to us poor sinners, since for us, and for 
our salvation. He daily renews the mystery of His incar- 
nation, and imparts to us the fruits of that mystery in 
abundant measure. 

From this incident it may be seen what joy comes 
down from heaven to earth when the source of all celes- 



/;: the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 8 1 

tial felicity vouchsafes to descend upon our altars. 
Many a time have saintly souls tasted this bliss, and we 
too might have been privileged to taste it had we assisted 
at Mass with more devout recollection, more lively faith. 
We may also learn of what great profit to us is this re- 
newal of Christ's incarnation, since those who hear Mass 
are made partakers in the merits of His first incarnation. 
By this profound abasement of Himself He appeases the 
just anger of God, and averts the chastisement we deserve 
so well. We cannot thank Him enough for all the bene- 
fits He bestows on us; especially for this, that He has 
instituted holy Mass for our sake, and renewed in it not 
His incarnation alone, but also all the mysteries of His 
life and death. We can show Him our gratitude in no 
better way than by devoutly hearing Mass every day, or 
at least as often as we can, and offering it to the Most 
Holy Trinity in thanksgiving for the mercies we have 
received. 



CHAPTER V. 

N THE HOLY MASS CHRIST RENEWS HIS 
NATIVITY. 

" TN that day the mountains shall drop down sweetness, 
and the hills shall flow with milk." (Joel iii. i8.) 
Thus the holy Church throughout the world speaks of the 
sweet mystery of Our Saviour's birth. And, indeed, on 
that day of days, when the only-begotten Son of God, 
clothed in human flesh, was born into this world, it may 
truly be said that the mountains dropped down sweet- 
ness, and the hills flowed with milk and honey. For 
He Who is sweeter far than milk and honey, Who is Him- 



82 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His ISfativiiy, 

self the plentiful source of all sweetness, by His entrance 
into the world made all things sweet; He brought true 
joy from heaven, He brought peace to men of good will; 
He brought comfort to the afflicted, to the world the 
dawn of a new and brighter day. 

Oh, how great was the joy of the heavenly Father in 
that night when He beheld His well-beloved Son, be- 
gotten from all eternity, born of the pure Virgin, whom 
He vouchsafed to call by the endearing name of daughter! 
How great the gladness of the Son of God when He 
beheld Himself clad in the vesture of our humanity, pos- 
sessing now not only a Father in heaven, but a Mother on 
earth besides ! How great the satisfaction of the Holy 
Spirit on beholding Him Whom He had united to the 
Father from all eternity in the closest bond of a perfect 
love now by His operation joined so intimately to human 
nature that the two natures, so infinitely distinct and 
diverse, were united together in the one person of the 
God-Man ! How great the sw^eetness which filled the 
soul of the Blessed Virgin when, gazing on her new-born 
babe, she told herself that the infant she held in her 
arms was not her Son alone, but also the Son of the Eter- 
nal Father, the most high God ! 

How great, moreover, was the happiness of those who 
were privileged to look upon the fairest of all the chil- 
dren of men, and to hold Him in their embrace ! We 
read in the life of St. Joseph of Cupertino that it was 
revealed to him that, after the return of the three kings 
to their own country, crowds of pilgrims flocked from all 
parts of the land to Bethlehem to see the newly-born 
King of the Jews, to feast their eyes on His wondrous 
beauty. He adds that they entreated the Mother of 
Jesus to permit them to take the lovely infant in their 
arms, and press Him to their heart. This our blessed Lady 
graciously allowed them to do, noticing to her astonish- 



tn the Holy Mass Christ Reviews His Nativity. 83 

ment that the gentle Child lovingly caressed the good, 
whilst He held Himself aloof from the evil. 

Although we rightly count those privileged persons 
happy, yet it must not be forgotten that we are even 
more privileged than they, since we may daily gaze with 
the eye of faith on that tender infant, and may share in 
the gladness attending His birth. Listen to the words 
of Pope Leo L: "Our minds enlightened and our love 
enkindled by the record of the evangelists and the utter- 
ances of the prophets, we do not seem to regard the 
birth of Christ as an event of the past, but as one present 
to our sight. For we hear proclaimed to us what the 
angel announced to the shepherds: * Behold, I bring you 
tidings of great joy; this day is born to you a Saviour.' 
Every day we may be present at this happy birth, every 
day our eyes may behold it, if we will but go to Mass. 
For then it is in very deed renewed, and by it the work 
of our salvation is carried on." 

The same is told us in the revelations of the Abbess 
Hildegard: " At the moment when, in the Mass, the 
bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of 
Christ the circumstances of His incarnation and birth 
are mirrored before us as clearly as when these mysteries 
were accomplished by the Son of God when He was on 
earth." This testimony has been confirmed by the 
Church; she bears witness to the truth that the birth of 
Christ is renewed and represented afresh in the sight of 
Heaven, just as when it took place more than 1800 years 
ago. In what manner and by whose agency Christ is 
born in holy Mass St. Jerome tells us in these words: 
" The priest calls Christ into being by his consecrated 
lips" ; that is to say: Christ is born into the world at 
the bidding of the priest when his lips utter the words of 
consecration. Pope Gregory XV. declares the same in the 
prayer he enjoins upon the priest to recite before saying 



84 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 

Mass: " I am about to celebrate holy Mass, and to call 
into being the body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Holy Church herself teaches us that the birth of Christ 
is effected anew after a spiritual manner in the Mass, 
for she places on the lips of the officiating priest the 
self-same song of praise which the angels sang on Christ- 
mas morn: ^' Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace to men of good will." (St. Luke ii. 14.) Let us, 
wlien these words sound in our ears, imagine ourselves 
listening to the angel who thus spoke to the shepherds: 
" I bring you good tidings of great joy; for this day is 
born to you a Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord. You shall 
find the Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and laid 
in a manger." (St. Luke ii. 10-12.) Suppose our ange«l 
guardian were to say to us: *^ Rejoice, my child, for now, 
in this Mass, thy Saviour will be born for thy salvation: 
thou wilt see Him with thine eyes under the form of the 
sacred host." If our guardian angel does not say this to 
us, our faith tells it to us, and ought we not to rejoice 
on this account ? And if we really believe this, we 
shall adore the divine Child at holy Mass with the same 
reverence and affection as did those who were privileged 
to behold Him with their bodily eyes. 

In the life of the fathers we read that a certain priest 
named Plegus, who habitually said Mass with great devo- 
tion, conceived a special desire to know in what manner 
Christ was present under the veil of bread and wine; 
not that he in any way doubted his Lord's real presence 
there, but love prompted the wish to see Him with his 
bodily eyes. One day when he was saying Mass, imme- 
diately after the elevation, this desire was so strong 
within him that he fell upon his knees, and said: " I 
beseech Thee, Almighty God, that Thou grant to me, 
unworthy as I am, to behold the bodily form of Jesus 
Christ in this sacred mystery; that as Simeon of old 



I 71 the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity. 85 

took Him in his arms, so I may see Him with my eyes, 
and touch Him with my hands." While he thus prayed, 
an angel appeared at his side, and said to him: " Behold, 
and see Christ here present in bodily form, as when He 
was an infant on His Mother's knee." Startled by these 
words, the priest raised his head, and there, lying upon 
the corporal, he saw the Son of God in the shape of a 
beautiful babe, that looked at him smilingly, and 
stretched out His tiny hands to be taken in his arms. 
But out of reverence the priest ventured not to do this, 
until the angel said: "This is Jesus, the Son of God, 
Whom a few moments ago thou sawest under the form 
of bread; He is now present as He really is; fear not, 
but rise up, and take Him in thy arms, and let thy heart 
rejoice in God thy Saviour." Encouraged by these reas- 
suring words, he rose from his knees, lifted theChild in his 
trembling hands, and caressed Him fondly. Then, gently 
laying Him again upon the corporal, he again knelt down, 
and humbly prayed Him to resume His former shape, in 
order that he might receive Him in holy communion, and 
bring the Mass to an end. When after this prayer he 
again stood up, he saw the Blessed Sacrament once more 
in the form of the consecrated wafer, and consumed it 
with singular devotion. 

This instance has been given in order that we may 
know and believe that in holy Mass Christ is not present 
to the imagination alone, or in a purely spiritual manner, 
but really and truly, and in a bodily form : the self-same 
infant Christ to Whom the Mother of God gave birth at 
Bethlehem, and Whom the three kings came to adore. 
Here, as there, His countenance is concealed by swad- 
dling-clothes, that is, by the external shape of the con- 
secrated host which we see with our eyes. But the 
tender child Who lies hidden beneath those outward 
forms can only be perceived by the interior sight of 



S6 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 

faith, the faith that believes undoubtedly that Our Lord 
is in truth concealed beneath this lowly form. The 
reasons why He thus conceals Himself from our view are 
many; the principal one is this, to give opportunity for 
the exercise of faith in so momentous a matter, and 
enable us to acquire merit every time we hear Mass. 
Numerous instances might be adduced in which Our 
Lord, for the confirmation of our faith in His personal 
presence, has permitted devout Christians, nay, more, Jews 
and unbelievers, to see Him in bodily shape. We will 
give one. 

Albertus Krantius relates at some length the efforts re- 
peatedly made by the Emperor Charlemagne to convert 
the pagan Saxons to the Christian faith. Although he 
more than once completely subjugated them by force of 
arms, and compelled them to abjure their idolatrous prac- 
tices, again and yet again, under the leadership of Witte- 
kind, their chief, they fell away from their Christian pro- 
fession. It was in the Lent of one year when, for the 
twelfth time, the emperor entered their land at the head 
of a large force. Easter approached, and all the soldiers 
of the imperial army were ordered to prepare themselves 
for the reception of the sacraments, and for the devout 
celebration of the festival in their camp. At that time 
Wittekind, the Saxon chieftain, went to the German in- 
trenchments with the object of witnessing the Christian 
ceremonies. In order to escape recognition he dis- 
guised himself in the rags of a mendicant, and in this 
character, without any companion, he entered the camp, 
and begged alms of the soldiers. Meanwhile he care- 
fully observed all that was going on, and obtained all the 
information he could. He noticed how on Good Friday 
the emperor and all the soldiers went about with a 
mournful mien, kept a strict fast, and spent a consider- 
able time in prayer; how on Holy Saturday they went to 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, Sy 

confession, and on Easter Day received holy communion. 
Whilst he was assisting at the Mass, at the moment of the 
consecration he distinctly saw in the hands of the priest 
a beautiful child of most engaging aspect, the sight of 
which filled him with a joy and happiness which he had 
never before felt. During the remainder of the Mass he 
could not take his eyes off the priest. His astonishment 
was still greater when, on the soldiers going up to re- 
ceive communion, he saw the priest give the same beauti- 
ful child to each communicant, by whom it was received, 
though not always in the same manner. For to some 
the child went with evident delight; from others He 
turned away, resisting with all His might, and only going 
to them under compulsion. The Saxon chief did not 
know what to make of the unheard-of marvels which he 
witnessed. At the conclusion of the Mass he left the 
church, and took his stand amid a swarm of beggars, 
who solicited alms from the congregation as they passed 
out. The emperor gave to each mendicant with his 
own royal hand, and as Wittekind extended his hand to 
receive the coin destined for him one of the emperor's 
servants recognized him by the peculiar formation of one 
of his fingers. The man whispered to his royal master: 
" That is Wittekind, the Saxon leader; I know him by 
his crooked finger." The emperor had the stranger 
brought to him in his tent, and asked him why he, the 
Saxon chieftain, had come there disguised as a beggar. 
Wittekind was terribly afraid lest he should be taken for 
a spy, and treated as such, so he told the truth to the 
emperor. *^ Do not be angry with me," he said; " I only 
did this in order to have a better opportunity of ac- 
quainting myself with the Christian worship." The 
emperor then inquired what he had seen, and Wittekind 
replied: '' I have beheld wonders greater than any I have 
ever before seen or heard of; wonders far beyond my 



88 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 

comprehension." He then told him what he had ob- 
served on Good Friday, on Holy Saturday, and what 
he had witnessed at Mass that same morning, requesting 
that these mysteries might be explained to him. The 
emperor was amazed to hear that God had granted to 
this obdurate heathen the grace to behold the divine 
Child in the sacred host, a grace He had given to but 
few saints. He then explained to the Saxon the reason 
why they were sorrowful on Good Friday, why they 
fasted, why they went to confession and communion; 
and so deeply was the heart of the heathen touched 
that he renounced his worship of idols, accepted the 
Christian faith, and, when sufficiently instructed, re- 
ceived the Sacrament of Baptism. He took some priests 
back with him to his people, and by their ministry the 
dukedom of Saxony was gradually converted to Christ. 

This true story, which was the cause of the conver- 
sion of the Saxons, proves beyond a doubt that the in- 
fant Christ is truly present in the consecrated host, and 
has been seen in bodily shape not only by certain of the 
faithful, but even by heathens. He conceals the ineffa- 
ble beauty of His glorified body from our sinful sight, 
but it is not hidden from the eyes of God the Father, 
and all the company of heaven; on the contrary, in 
every Mass it is displayed to them in such unspeakable 
loveliness that the Most Holy Trinity is glorified by 
it, while the blessed Mother of God, the angels and 
saints, experience a joy and happiness that no words 
can adequately describe. For, as Christ is reported to 
have said to the Ven. Alanus, nothing contributes more 
towards magnifying God, rejoicing His blessed Mother, 
and causing the felicity of the saints than the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass. 

When the holy angels look upon this new-born infant, 
they prostrate themselves before Him in lowly adoratio^. 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 89 

This is what St. Paul refers to when he says: " Let all 
the angels of God adore Him." (Heb. i. 6.) In the 
night of the nativity God the Father brought His only- 
begotten Son for the first time into the world; but when- 
ever Mass is said He brings Him anew into the world, 
on to our altars, that He may sacrifice Himself for us, 
and impart to us the fruits of His birth. Then the 
angels fall down and worship Him; as the Church says 
in the preface : " The angels praise, the dominations 
adore, and the powers fear Thy majesty: the heavens 
also, and the heavenly forces, and the blessed seraphim 
glorify it in common exultation." Thus in the night 
when He was born they sang: ^' Glory to God in the 
highest, peace on earth to men of good will." We too, 
together with the heavenly host, will praise and glorify 
the divine Child, Who comes anew from heaven, and 
takes upon Himself the form of an infant for our salva- 
tion, and grants to all who assist at Mass an abundant 
share in the merits He has won for us. 

the joy caused in heaven and the blessings 

brought to earth by the renewal of our 

lord's nativity. 

We need the intelligence of the angels to explain 
aright this sublime mystery, for it surpasses human un- 
derstanding. We cannot conceive an idea of the joy 
which it causes to the Most Holy Trinity; but we know 
it to be one of the truths of our holy religion that the 
three sacred Persons of the Trinity are all-sufficient in 
themselves, and each communicates to the others His 
own ineffable bliss. Holy Scripture speaks of the un- 
created Wisdom, the Son of God, in these words: "He 
is the brightness of eternal light, and the unspotted 
mirror of God's majesty, and the image of His good- 



go In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 

ness." (Wis. vii. 26.) This mirror has been from all 
eternity before the eyes of the heavenly Father; in it 
He beholds Himself reflected most clearly, and finds in 
it infinite satisfaction; for in it He has always seen, He 
sees now, and will ever see His own boundless power 
and sovereign perfections as they are, and as they will 
remain to all eternity. This knowledge of Himself and 
the continual contemplation of this divine mirror are the 
essence of His infinite and perfect felicity, so that in de- 
fault of all else, these alone would suffice to constitute 
His perfect happiness to all eternity. 

This spotless mirror* is placed before the Eternal 
Father in a new and different manner in the mystery of 
Christ's nativity, for the divine mirror was then arrayed 
in the garb of our humanity, and decked with all virtues 
and perfections as with rare and costly jewels. The 
contemplation of it afforded the Eternal Father (to speak 
after the manner of men) a new pleasure, one in which 
all the company of heaven took part. Wherefore, in the 
exuberance of their delight, the blessed spirits raised 
their voices in that melodious song, the Gloria in ex- 
celsis, the strains of which reached earth, and filled the 
pious shepherds with unspeakable joy, and before the 
Gloria was ended the angelic choirs came down to 
Bethlehem, and prostrated themselves before the new- 
born Babe, paying lowly homage to Him as their sover- 
eign Lord. 

All this, which happened on the night of the nativity, 
still takes place daily in every Mass, for then the first- 
born Son of God again becomes man in the hands of 
the priest, and at his word is born anew. It is no new 
Christ Who is called into being by the prayer of conse- 
cration, no multiplication of His person takes place: 
He only becomes personally present in a place where 
previously He w^s pqt. He is indeed but pne Christy 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity. 91 

and remains ever one and indivisible; yet it is not 
merely in a spiritual manner, but in a corporate manner 
also, that He is truly present on the altar. And in the 
sacred elements He remains present so long as they con- 
tinue intact. When, however, the elements undergo 
a change, Christ's personal presence within them ceases, 
and ceases so completely that were He present in no 
other place, but only beneath those forms, He would 
cease to exist, and there would be no Christ either in 
heaven or upon earth. 

Now, when this first-born Son of God is born again at 
the word of the priest, when this bright mirror, adorned 
with all divine perfections, is lifted up, and offered both 
by priest and people to God the Father, what, thinkest 
thou, is the joy the heavenly Father feels ? Certainly 
it is a joy equal to that which He felt in His beloved 
Son on the night of His nativity, for then, as now, He 
beheld the same Son of Whom He said: *^ This is My be- 
loved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." (St. Matt. iii. 17.) 
There is but this difference, that then Christ was clothed 
with a mortal body, whereas now, in holy Mass, He is 
decked in His glorified body, and His five sacred 
wounds shine like costly jewels. Then He was born 
with a visible and material body; now, on the contrary, 
He is born in a spiritual, though not less real, manner. 

Furthermore, we must consider that God the Father 
does not only take pleasure in the contemplation of this 
divine mirror, but that this mirror is His own living and 
beloved Son, Who loves Him with filial affection, and 
causes Him inexpressible delight. The felicity which 
the Godhead finds in the humanity of Jesus Christ is a 
felicity far surpassing that which accrues to it from the 
praises of the angels, the adoration of the saints, the 
worship of the faithful. For only the sacred humanity 
of Christ, united in His one Person to the Godhead, and 



92 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity. 

thereby divinized, is capable of rendering to the God- 
head a tribute of praise, of love, of glory worthy of its 
infinite majesty. Christ alone, as He told St. Mech- 
tilde, knows perfectly how that sacrifice of Himself is 
daily offered upon the altar for the benefit of the faith- 
ful* In like manner He alone knows how the Godhead 
is to be duly praised and magnified in the daily sacrifice 
of the Mass. This He accomplished in so beautiful, so 
admirable a manner that neither cherubim, nor sera- 
phim, nor any of the powers of heaven are capable of 
fully comprehending, much less of themselves perform- 
ing, this act. All the heavenly hosts look on with 
amazement and admiration; their intelligence cannot 
fathom this source of infinite felicity. And since we 
know it to be repeated every day in thousands of Masses, 
who can find words to express the magnitude, the ex- 
tent of the joy which the ev^r-blessed Trinity derives 
from the Masses that are daily celebrated ? 

My God, I fervently rejoice at the thought of this 
felicity,, and fain would I increase it by my heartfelt 
homage. I beseech Thee, O Jesus, that in the holy sacri- 
fice of the Mass Thou wouldst perform my part in lov- 
ing and magnifying the Most Holy Trinity, and defray, 
in my behalf, the debt of love and veneration which I 
have neglected to pay. 

Finally, let us consider the unspeakable blessings 
brought to a sinful world by the daily renewal of Our 
Lord's birth in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The 
prophet Isaias, speaking of the nativity of the Saviour, 
says: " A child is born to us, and a son is given to us." 
(Is. ix. 6.) The same may be said of His spiritual birth: 
whenever Mass is said, a child is born to us, a son is 
given us. How precious, how invaluable is this gift ! It 
is none other than the most precious of all celestial 
treasures, none other than the Son of the Eternal Father, 



Ill the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity. 93 

in Whom all riches dwell. He descends from paradise on 
every altar when Mass is said, bringing with Him riches 
immeasurable and celestial treasures. The chief amongst 
these are: divine grace and mercy, contrition and for- 
giveness of sins, remission of the penalty due to our sins, 
amendment of life, the grace of a good death, a greater 
degree of glory in heaven; besides many temporal favors 
— preservation from accidents, from sin and shame, the 
blessing of God on all we do. These and many other 
graces He is ready to communicate freely to those who 
hear Mass devoutly, and He will bestow them abund- 
antly. 

If we consider more attentively the prophecy of Isaias, 
we shall find in it something further for our encourage- 
ment. He says expressly that a child is born to us, a 
son is given us. If the child Jesus is thus born to us in 
holy Mass, and given to us. He is our very own; all that 
He has is ours, all that He does belongs also to us. The 
honor, the thanksgiving, the worship, the satisfaction He 
renders to the Blessed Trinity, is ours as well. What 
can be a greater consolation to us poor sinners when we 
hear Mass than to know that not the Mass only, but the 
infant Christ Himself, is all our own? Hadst thou been 
present in the stable the night of the nativity, and 
hadst thou been able to take the tender Babe in thy arms, 
and offer Him to God the Father, w^ith the earnest en- 
treaty that for the sake of this sweet child He would 
have mercy upon thee, would He not, thinkest thou, have 
shown thee favor, and forgiven thee thy transgressions ? 
Well, then, do so whenever thou hearest Mass. Approach 
in spirit to the altar, take the divine Child in thine arms, 
and offer Him to God the Father. 

Another point remains to be noticed, which is most 
noteworthy and needs explanation, namely, that Christ 
is not merely born mystically upon the altar, but He 



94 I^ ^^^ Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 

there assumes so lowly a form that both heaven and 
earth are amazed at it. St. Paul in his Epistle to the 
Philippians describes the abasement of the Saviour in 
His first incarnation and birth in these forcible words: 
*^ Brethren, let this mind be in you, which was also in 
Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it 
not robbery to be equal with God: but emptied Himself, 
taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness 
of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled Him- 
self, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of 
the cross." (Phil. ii. 5-8.) 

Such are the emphatic words in which St. Paul declares 
to us the profound humility of Christ, and directs our 
attention to His annihilation of Himself. But he who 
considers the spiritual birth of Our Lord in the Mass 
will find in it a far greater and more profound depth of 
humility. For in His temporal birth He was made like 
unto man, and took upon Him the form of a fair and 
beauteous child; in His mystic birth, however, he as- 
sumes the form of bread, and appears to the outward 
vision as a piece of bread. Nay, more, so entirely does 
He abase and annihilate Himself as to conceal Himself 
in the minutest particle that the eye can discern. 

This is indeed unparalleled humility and unheard-of 
self-renunciation ! The words which the prophet-king 
spoke of Christ are most applicable here: " I am a worm, 
and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of 
the people." (Ps. xxi. 7.) For who heeds a crumb of 
bread ? Who recognizes it as his God ? Who renders 
Him honor and glory? Where is the splendor that ap- 
pertains to His glorified body ? Where is His omnipo- 
tence ? Where His sovereign majesty, before which 
heaven and earth tremble and are afraid ? He has laid 
all this aside, and clothed Himself with the garment of 
the deepest abasement. He Who is the divine and eternal 



hi the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 95 

Word cannot utter a syllable. He Who made the heavens 
and the earth is unable to move hand or foot. He 
Whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain is confined, 
imprisoned, as it were, in a little wafer. He Who is seated 
at the right hand of the Father lies upon the altar bound 
as a sacrificial lamb, ready to be slain anew in a spiritual 
manner as a victim for our sake. Behold the infinite 
humiliation of the sovereign Lord of heaven and of earth ! 
Behold the unspeakable charity of this faithful lover 
towards the children of men ! 

Furthermore, in His humility and self-abasement Jesus 
Christ becomes subject in holy Mass to the officiating 
priest, and this not only to the good and fervent, but to 
the lukewarm and indifferent, permitting them to deal 
with Him according to their will. Nay, what is even 
more astonishing. He does not refuse to receive their 
benediction, although St. Paul says: "Without all contra- 
diction, that which is less is blessed by the better." 
(Heb. vii. 7.) How, then, can Christ, Who is so incom- 
parably greater than the priest, take the blessing of one 
so infinitely His inferior ? Yet the priest blesses the host 
not only before but after the consecration, and this no 
less than fifteen times, so profound is the self-abasement 
of Our Lord. We are told that when Christ came unto 
John to be baptized by him *' John stayed Him, saying: 
I ought to be baptized by Thee, and comest Thou to 
me?" (St. Matt. iii. 14.) In like manner the priest 
ought to shrink back in fear, and say: "I, O my Lord, 
ought to receive Thy blessing, for how canst Thou, the 
most high God, receive the blessing of a miserable sinner 
like myself?" This is indeed most astonishing, and we 
are led to inquire the reason why Christ stoops so low. 

One of the chief reasons to be alleged is this: in order 
by His extreme abasement to appease the wrath of an 
angry God, and avert from sinful men the just chastise- 



96 in the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity, 

ment of their iniquities. There is no surer way of con- 
ciliating an enemy than to humble one's self before him 
and beg his forgiveness. We learn this from the example 
of the impious King Achab, of whom it is recorded in 
Holy Scripture that when the prophet Elias foretold to 
him, by God's command, that on account of his evil 
doings the Lord would chastise his wife and children, so 
that they should not be buried, but their dead bodies 
become the food of dogs and of the birds of the air, 
" Achab rent his garments, and put hair-cloth upon his 
flesh, and fasted, and slept in sack-cloth, and walked with 
his head cast down. And the word of the Lord came to 
Elias the Thesbite, saying: Hast thou not seen Achab 
humbled before Me ? Therefore, because he hath hum- 
bled himself for My sake, I will not bring the evil in his 
days, but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his 
house." (hi. Kings xxi. 27-29.) 

Now if the godless King Achab, of whom it is said 
that he did evil above all that were before him, through 
humiliation and self-abasement so far prevailed with 
Almighty God that He did not send upon him the threat- 
ened punishment, what will not the extraordinary humili- 
ation of Christ upon the altar avail with His heavenly 
Father ? For the sake of sinners, who have provoked the 
just God to vengeance by their pride and their malice, 
Christ humbled Himself far more profoundly than*Achab 
ever did. For Christ lays aside His glorious apparel. 
He conceals Himself under the form of the sacred host; 
He does not merely " walk with His head cast down," He 
lies upon the altar, a patient victim, and from the bottom 
of His heart calls upon God the Father to pardon and 
spare the sinner. Will not God Almighty say to His 
angels as He said to the prophet of old: ^* Have you not 
seen how My Son humbleth Himself before Me ? " And 
the angels will answer: " Yea, we see and are amazed at 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Nativity. (y^ 

the deep abasement of our Lord and God." And God 
will then reply: ** Because My divine Son has thus anni- 
hilated Himself, and humbled Himself before Me to plead 
for sinners, I will spare them, and turn away from them 
the chastisement their transgressions deserve." 

Listen, then, O sinner, hear what God says to thee, 
and thou wilt understand how it is that thy life has been 
so far prolonged, and thou hast not been punished ac- 
cording to the measure of thy iniquities. For my part, L 
think that it is principally because thou hast often heard 
Mass, and hast thus shared in the intercession of Christ. 
On the altar He has made thy interests His own. He 
has humbled Himself before God on thy behalf. He has 
averted the penalty thou hast deserved. Wherefore 
return humble thanks to thy faithful advocate, and say 
to Him in the gratitude of thy heart: 

" Praise and glory be to Thee, O most sweet Jesus, for 
the infinite love wherewith Thou dost vouchsafe to de- 
scend from heaven in the holy Mass to change bread 
and wine into Thy sacred flesh and blood, to conceal 
Thyself under these contemptible appearances and by 
means of this boundless humility to appease the just 
wrath of God and avert the chastisements due to us. 
With our whole hearts we thank Thee for this inestima- 
ble benefit. With all the powers of our soul we praise 
and magnify Thee, and we beseech the hosts of heaven 
to unite their voices to ours and compensate for what is 
defective in our giving of thanks. We humbly pray 
Thee to enlighten our minds, that we may clearly com- 
prehend the saving mysteries which Thou dost daily 
enact upon our altars, that we may venerate them aright, 
and profit by them for our eternal salvation. Amen." 



gS In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Life 



CHAPTER VI. 

IN THE HOLY MASS CHRIST RENEWS HIS LIFE. 

T F we were to contemplate attentively the great mys- 
teries of holy Mass, and impress forcibly upon our 
minds that the officiating priest as the representative of 
Jesus Christ, arrayed in the garments of gladness, repro- 
duces before our eyes the mysteries of the wondrous 
life and death of the Saviour, we should surely hasten to 
church at the first stroke of the bell, eager to assist at 
this consoling spectacle, because, as Sanchez says: ** In 
this sacred drama the merits of our Redeemer are be- 
stowed upon us and given us for our very own." 

If our eyes were enlightened by faith, this sacred 
spectacle would fill us with intense joy. For holy Mass 
is a brief compendium of the whole life of Christ, and a 
renewal of all the mysteries comprised in it; not, indeed, 
a fictitious portrayal of past events, but a real and 
actual repetition of all that Christ did and suffered upon 
earth. 

Thus in holy Mass we have the same child lying be- 
fore us Whom the shepherds beheld wrapped in swad- 
dling-clothes, but under a form still more lowly, that of 
bread and wine; yes, the same child to Whom the three 
kings paid homage, and Whom Simeon took in his arms,, 
is before us upon the altar, and we may adore Him 
piously and embrace Him lovingly, as did they. In the 
course of the Mass the Gospel is preached to us; it is, 
indeed, the voice of the priest that we hear, but the 
words have the same weight as if Christ Himself uttered 
them. Furthermore, we see Him perform a greater mira- 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Life, 99 

cle than the one He wrought at Cana in Galilee; for 
there He changed water into wine, here He changes 
wine into His sacred blood. In the Mass the scene of 
the Last Supper is reenacted, for the bread and wine 
undergo a change similar to that they then did. Christ 
is also slain anew by the hand of the priest, and by him 
offered up to God most high. Father Sanchez, writing 
on this subject, says: ** He who desires to profit by holy 
Mass will be able to obtain forgiveness of sins and the 
gift of divine grace just as readily by assisting at it 
devoutly as if he had in person witnessed all these 
mysteries." Hence it will be seen how salutary is this 
solemn service, and how much may be gained by those 
who are present at it. 

Let us hear how Denys, a pious Carthusian, explains 
the representation of the mysteries of Our Lord's life 
in holy Mass. He says: " The whole life of Christ which 
He led upon earth was one long celebration of Mass, 
He being Himself the altar, the priest, the victim.*' 

It may be said that Our Lord put on the sacerdotal 
vestments when, hidden from sight in His Mother's 
womb, He took our flesh and assumed the garb of mor- 
tality. Issuing thence, on the night of the nativity, as 
from the sacristy. He began, on His entrance into the 
world, the Introit^ which is the commencement of the Mass. 
The cries He uttered in the crib were the Kyrie Eleison. 
The Gloria was sung by the angels who appeared to the 
shepherds and accompanied them to the stable at Beth- 
lehem, The Collects represent the petitions He offered 
when He spent the night in prayer, imploring for us the 
m.ercy of God. The Epistk represents the instructions 
He gave on the prophecies of Moses ai d the prophets, 
showing how they were fulfilled in Himself. He read 
the Gospel when He traversed the country of Judea 
proclaiming His divine doctrine. The Offertory was 



id6 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Life, 

when He daily made an oblation of Himself to God the 
Father for the redemption of mankind as a propitiatory- 
victim. The Preface represents His daily tribute of 
praise to God the Father, His thanksgiving for the bene- 
fits conferred upon man. The Sanctus was sung by the 
Hebrew people on Palm Sunday., when they cried: 
" Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord: 
Hosanna in the highest I " (St. Matt. xxi. 9.) The €071- 
secration took place at the Last Supper, when He changed 
bread and wine into His body and blood. The Eleva- 
tion was when He was lifted up upon the cross and made 
a spectacle to angels and to men. The Pater^ioster rep- 
resents the seven words He uttered upon the cross. 
The Breaking of the Host, the separation of His sacred 
soul and body. The Agnus Dei was spoken by the cen- 
turion and those who were with him when, smiting their 
breasts, they said: *' Indeed this was the Son of God." 
(St. Matt, xxvii. 54.) The Co77imunion represents the 
anointing of Our Lord's body and laying it in the tomb. 
The Blessing at the conclusion of Mass represents the 
benediction He gave to His disciples when about to 
ascend into heaven. 

Such was the great act of worship which Christ per- 
formed upon earth, and which He enjoined upon His 
apostles and their successors to repeat daily, in a short 
form. Fornerus says: *^ Holy Mass is a brief epitome of 
Our Lord's life; a recapitulation in one short half hour 
of what He did during the thirty-three years He spent 
upon earth." Thus we, who have the opportunity of 
hearing Mass, may deem ourselves equally fortunate with 
the contemporaries of Our Lord; nay, more fortunate 
than they, since they could only hear and see -one Mass, 
and that a very long one, whereas we may hear more 
than one every day, and, at small cost to ourselves, share 
in the fruits of Christ's life and passion. In further ex- 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Life, loi 

planation of the manner in which Our Lord reenacts in 
holy Mass the mysteries of His life on earth, we will re- 
late the following anecdote. It occurs in the writings of 
Thomas of Cantiprat, Suffragan Bishop of Cambrai. 

In the year 1267, a priest at Douai, whilst giving com- 
munion at Easter in the Church of St. Amatus, suffered 
one of the hosts to fall to the ground. To his great 
amazement he saw it rise from the ground and remain 
suspended in the air. Taking it in his hand, he carried 
it to the altar, and, kneeling humbly before it, he begged 
pardon of Christ for the indignity that had been done to 
Him. Whilst he was devoutly contemplating the Ador- 
able Sacrament, he was astounded to see the form of the 
host disappear, and the form of a beautiful child take its 
place. So great was his emotion that he could not re- 
strain his sobs and tears. The clergy present in the 
choir drew near to ascertain what was the matter, and 
they too sav/ the fair infant. Deeply touched by the 
sight, they broke out into exclamations of joy and de- 
light. Then the congregation in their turn approached 
to behold the miraculous appearance, which afforded 
such convincing proof of Christ's real presence upon the 
altar. But lo ) another wondrous change took place I 
The people could not see what the clergy had seen, for 
they had beheld a tender child, whereas now Christ 
stood before them in the form of a man, in the splendor 
of His divine majesty. Fear and amazement fell upon 
all, the sanctuary was thronged with eager spectators. 
For a considerable time Our Lord remained thus visible 
in His sacred humanity; He then withdrew His corporal 
presence, and the host was deposited by the priest in the 
tabernacle. The report of what had happened spread 
far and wide, and reached the ears of the bishop, who 
relates the occurrence. He immediately went to Douai, 
and inguired of the dean whether what he had heard 



102 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Life, 

was true. The dean replied: " It is not only true that 
Christ was seen by a great number of persons in the 
sacred host, but He is still seen by many in His human 
form." "Then" — thus the bishop writes — "a burning 
desire to see this same sight took possession of me: I 
begged the dean to show me the miraculous host. We 
went together to the church, followed by a m.ultitude of 
persons, who hoped that Our Lord would again show 
Himself to them. The dean unlocked the tabernacle 
with trembling awe; he reverently took out the Blessed 
Sacrament, and with it blessed the people. Marvellous 
to relate, they all began to sob and cry aloud: * Jesus, 
Jesus ! ' I asked what all this meant and they said: ^ We 
see our Lord and Saviour with our bodily eyes.' But I 
saw nothing, only the host unchanged; and I felt deeply 
grieved, for I thought some sin had rendered me un- 
worthy to beheld my Saviour. I examined my con- 
science, without, however, finding anything special 
wherewith to reproach myself, so with tears I besought 
Our Lord to vouchsafe to show Himself to me. My 
petition was granted; I too was privileged to see, not, as 
many of those present did, the form of a child, but that 
of a full-grown man. After I had gazed for a short 
space of time upon the Saviour in the surpassing beauty 
of this appearance, my heart being meanwhile suffused 
with joy and happiness on account of the kindness 
wherewith He regarded me, a change took place, and I 
saw Him before me as the Man of sorrows. I beheld 
Him wearing the crown of thorns^ disfigured by the 
streams of blood that veiled His sacred countenance* 
Overcome with compassion at this sorrowful sight, I shed 
bitter tears over the sufferings of my Redeemer; so 
vividly did I realize them that it seemed as if the thorns 
that crowned His head pierced my own temples. A con- 
fused murmur ran through the multitude who had as- 



In the Holy Mass Christ Reviews His Life, 103 

sembled, for each one saw something different at the 
same moment. Some perceived Our Lord in the form 
of a lovely infant, others beheld Him as a beautiful boy, 
as a youth just attaining man's estate, as a man in the 
prime of years, or, again, as He was at the time of His 
passion. The emotions that stirred the hearts of the 
people, the feelings that were kindled in their breasts, the 
tears that flowed from their eyes, must be left to the im- 
agination of the reader, for words fail to describe them/' 

This beautiful, encouraging, and consoling story can- 
not but lead each one of us to wish that we had been 
privileged to witness so touching a spectacle; to desire 
that the grace of seeing the Saviour with our bodily eyes 
under these several appearances had been granted to us 
also. What would have been the joy, the consolation, 
the sweetness we should have experienced ! O Lord 
Jesus, although I have never seen Thee in bodily shape 
in the sacred host, yet I firmly believe that Thou art 
present there, and dost present Thyself before the 
Eternal Father under the varied appearances Thou 
didst assume on earth. And as Christ in a marvellous 
and incomprehensible manner assumed those mortal 
shapes, so in every Mass does He reproduce all the mys- 
teries of His life and passion in the sight and to the 
satisfaction of God the Father and God the Holy Ghost, 
of His blessed Mother and all the choirs of angels and 
the saints, just as when these solemn mysteries were 
enacted during His lifetime on earth. Thus there is in- 
comparably more joy in heaven on account of one single 
Mass -than because of any other good work or act of 
worship in the world. 

This joy is not occasioned simply by the vivid repre- 
sentation of the life and passion of Christ, but also by 
the honor which the sacred humanity renders to the 
Godhead in holy Mass, For in every Mass that is said,^ 



I04 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Life. 

with all the might of His divinity, with all the power of 
His humanity, with all the force of His human heart, 
Christ honors, praises, loves, worships, and magnifies the 
adorable Trinity in so sublime and incomprehensible a 
manner that the glory rendered to the Godhead by 
angels in heaven, by saints on earth, is immeasurably in- 
ferior to the glory which He then renders to it. Hence 
we see how exalted an act of worship holy Mass is, and 
how much we can prevail with God every time that we 
celebrate or assist at it. 

Before concluding this chapter let us consider the 
great profit and spiritual advantages we may gain from 
holy Mass, Christ, our precious Saviour, during the 
three and thirty years in which He labored upon earth, 
laid up a vast store of merits, not for Himself, but for us, 
His children. Nor are His labors yet at an end, as He 
Himself testifies: " My Father worketh until now, and I 
work." (St. John v. 17.) He continues His work, not 
that He may earn more, but that He may qualify us to 
receive what He has earned for us. On this account He 
renews His sacred life in every Mass that is celebrated, 
and in each one enacts afresh what it took Him thirty- 
three years to accomplish. This He presents to the 
Eternal Father, to effect our reconciliation with Him. 
By it God is well pleased, and His wrath at our trans- 
gressions is appeased. He offers all His merits to God 
in pa}ment of our debts, and when we hear holy Mass 
He bestows on us as much as we are capable of receiv- 
ing, that we may thereby make atonement for our sins. 

Give thanks, therefore, O Christian, to this th)* true 
friend, Who has labored for thee and laid up for thee so 
rich a store of treasures. Acknowledge His great 
charity towards thee in offering these treasures for thy 
acceptance, and bestowing them upon thee freely. See 
that thou hear Mass daily, if possible, in order to appro- 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Intercessio7i. 105 

priate to thyself a large portion of these riches. Thou 
wouldst spare no pains and grudge no time if thou 
couldst acquire temporal riches as easily as thou canst 
acquire wealth for thy soul. Why, then, remain so care- 
less in regard to the eternal treasures, and by thy indiffer- 
ence allow them to escape thy grasp ? May God en- 
lighten thy blindness, convert thy sloth into diligence, 
and inspire thee with true fervor; and when this happy 
change is effected thou wilt then hear Mass frequently 
and to thy soul's profit. 



CHAPTER VII. 

IN THE HOLY MASS CHRIST RENEWS HIS 
INTERCESSION. 

CT. JOHN, the beloved disciple of Our Lord, says in 
his first Epistle: " We have an advocate with the 
Father, Jesus Christ the just, and He is the propitiation 
for our sins." (i. St. John ii. i, 2.) What a comforting 
assurance of our salvation these words afford us, since 
Holy Scripture expressly tells us that the Son of God 
Himself, the Judge of the living and the dead, is our 
defender and our intercessor. 

The question now arises, When and where does Christ 
fulfil this His office ? The Catholic Church believes 
and teaches that not only in heaven, but also on earth, 
in the holy Mass, Christ pleads for us, and commends 
us to the mercy of God. The learned Suarez says: "As 
often as the sacrifice of the Mass is offered, so often 
does Christ plead both for those who offer it and those 
for whom it is offered." He pleads, that is to say, for 
the priest who officiates, for the people whq unit^ their 



io6 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Intercession. 

prayers to his, and for all those for whom priest and 
people offer the holy sacrifice. 

Sto Laurence Justinian thus describes the manner in 
which Christ offers this intercession: *' When Christ is 
spiritually slain upon the altar. He calls upon His 
heavenly Father, He shows Him His wounds, that in 
virtue of His earnest supplication man may escape 
eternal damnation." These are consoling words, for 
they show how faithfully Christ intercedes for us, how 
deeply He interests Himself in our behalf. During His 
sojourn upon earth. He took our salvation so much to 
heart that He oftentimes spent the whole night in prayer 
and watching, as St. Luke expressly tells us: *^ He went 
out into a mountain to pray, and He passed the whole 
night in the prayer. of God." (St. Luke vi. 12.) This 
was no infrequent occurrence, as we learn from the same 
evangelist: ** In the daytime He was teaching in the 
temple; but at night, going out, He abode in the mount 
that is called Olivet." {Ibid. xxi. 37). And in the fol- 
lowing chapter he adds: " He went, according to His 
custom, to the Mount of Olives." {Ibid. xxii. 39.) These 
words testify unmistakably that Jesus was accustomed 
to go out to the Mount of Olives, and remain all night 
long at prayer under the open vault of heaven. For what 
or for whom did He pray ? St. Ambrose answers this 
question: " Not for Himself did the Lord ask anything, 
but for me." It was not, therefore, on His own behalf 
that the Saviour spent whole nights in prayer: it was on 
man's behalf, that we might be saved from everlasting 
perditiono And since He foresaw how many millions 
of human beings would be eternally lost in spite of His 
having suffered and died for them, we may believe that 
the loss of these souls caused many tears to flow from 
His pitying eyes, many a sigh to rise from His compas- 
sionate heart, 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Inter cess io7t. 107 

These fervent prayers which our blessed Saviour 
offered when on earth He renews and repeats in every 
Mass that is celebrated, setting them before God the 
Father, as it were, in a brief summary, but just as defi- 
nitely as if they were all said over again. Moreover, He 
bids Him behold the bitter tears which He shed for the 
salvation of sinners; He counts over to Him the sighs 
that rent His breast on account of man's transgressions, 
the nights He spent in watching and prayer for those 
who had wandered far from God. All these He offers 
for the salvation of the world, but more especially for 
the salvation of each individual who is present at Mass. 
Consider what must be the sanctity, the fervor, the 
cogency of these prayers, uttered by the Holy of holies, 
Jesus Christ the Son of God, in person^ in all the power 
of His divinized humanity ! How all-powerful must such 
a prayer be with God ! How pleasing in His sight ! How 
efficacious for those on whose behalf it is offered! How 
acceptable to the Most Holy Trinity, to Whom it is 
addressed ! 

Furthermore, observe that Christ does not confine 
Himself to pleading from the altar for all who are 
present, but, to enhance the potency of His prayer, He 
sacrifices Himself to God on their behalf. Who can 
rightly estimate the power, the efficacy, of this sacrifice? 
In the revelations of St. Gertrude it is stated that, at the 
elevation of the host, the saint saw Christ with His 
own hands lifting on high His heart in the form of a 
golden chalice, presenting it to His heavenly Father, 
and offering Himself for His Church in an ineffable 
manner, which it surpasses human understanding to 
comprehend. 

Consider well, and lay to heart, how sublime a mys- 
tery, how exalted and divine a sacrifice, is holy Mass. 
Consider well, and admire profoundly, the inscrutable 



io8 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Intercession, 

manner in which our blessed Redeemer immolates Him- 
self in every Mass for the safety of all believers. 
Neither saint nor angel, not even the Mother of God 
herself, can fully penetrate this mystery. Our Lord 
Himself told St. Mechtilde (as has already been said) 
that no created intelligence could fully understand this 
daily sacrifice He makes of Himself. From His words 
we see how fervently and powerfully He pleads from 
the altar for His people, especially for those who assist 
at Mass; nor does He plead only, He makes an oblation 
of Himself in a manner so unspeakably sublime that the 
highest powers of heaven are incapable of fully compre- 
hending it. How great the grace, how great the salva- 
tion, herein vouchsafed to us ! 

In addition to this it must be remembered that in 
holy Mass Christ does not offer Himself up in the splen- 
dor of His divine majesty, but in a state of abasement 
so complete that no parallel can be found to it. For 
upon the altar He is present not only in the whole un- 
divided host, but in the minutest particle of it; and He 
can well apply to Himself the words of David: ** I am a 
worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the out- 
cast of the people." (Ps. xxi. 7.) 

In this contemptible form, in this extreme abase- 
ment, He speaks from the altar in" a voice so powerful 
that it pierces the clouds, rends the heavens, and 
awakens the divine mercy. We read in the prophecy of 
Jonas that when the King of Ninive heard that in forty 
days the city would be destroyed he rose from his 
throne, laid aside his regal robes, clothed himself in the 
garment of penance, and commanded his subjects to cry 
to the Lord with all their strength. This humiliation 
and penance on the part of the king had the effect of 
turning away the wrath of God, and inducing Him to 
revpke the sentence; and spare the guilty city. If by 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Intercession. 109 

humbling himself this heathen king obtained mercy for 
his city, what will not Jesus obtain from God, since He 
does far more in holy Mass? For He descends from 
His celestial throne. He lays aside His regal glory. He 
conceals Himself under the insignificant appearance of 
the host, and calls with all His strength upon Almighty 
God for mercy for His people addressing Him in words 
such as these: 

" Behold, O heavenly Father, the profound humility 
and deep abasement wherewith I cast Myself before 
Thee, in the semblance of a worm rather than of a man. 
It is on behalf of these unhappy sinners that I plead, 
entreating Thee to pardon and to spare them. They have 
revolted against Thee, but I humble Myself before Thee„ 
They have provoked Thee to anger by their iniquities: 1 
desire to appease Thee by My humility. They have in- 
curred Thy just vengeance: let My earnest petitions 
avert from them that vengeance. Spare them, O My 
Father, for My sake, and chastise them not according to 
their misdeeds. Deliver them not over to Satan, let 
them not go into everlasting perdition. I cannot let 
them be lost: they are Mine, purchased at a great price 
with My own blood. Especially I pray for those who 
are here present, for whom once again I give My life and 
shed My blood, that through the merits of that sacred 
blood and cruel death they may be preserved from 
eternal death.'* 

To what lengths, O Jesus, does Thy love for us carry 
Thee, impelling Thee to interest Thyself so deeply in 
us, to do so much for us, to intercede so fervently 
on our behalf ! Who but would rejoice to hear Mass 
if he knew that Christ Himself was pleading for his sal- 
vation — pleading not with words alone, but, in order to 
give weight to His petition, offering Himself upon the 
altar, and renewing His passion in a mystical manner? 



Ilo in the Holy Mass Christ Renews His IntercessioH. 

Who could fail to place confidence in such an intercessor? 
Who would not desire to have this intercessor for his 
own ? This desire can easily be fulfilled. We can 
readily make Him our own, by hearing Mass devoutly. 
We know beyond a doubt that Christ, when hanging upon 
the cross, commended those of His followers who stood 
by the cross in a special manner to His heavenly Father, 
and applied to them the fruits of His passion; He even 
promised paradise to the thief on His right hand. No 
less is it beyond a doubt that Christ does the same for 
those who are present at holy Mass, above all if they 
entreat Him to intercede for them, and grant them a 
share in His sacrifice of Himself. He then pleads as 
powerfully for them as He did for His enemies upon the 
cross. Can we question the efficacy of such a prayer ? 
Nothing can serve to strengthen our hope more than the 
knowledge that the only-begotten Son of God vouchsafes 
daily to intercede for us, and makes the affair of our sal- 
vation His own. 

If the Blessed Virgin Mary were to come down from 
heaven, to appear to thee, and speak to thee these con- 
soling words: "Fear not, my child; I promise thee to 
take upon myself the important work of thy salvation, to 
entreat my Son on thy behalf, to persist in my entreaties 
until He promises to make thee a partaker of eternal 
felicity," would not thy heart overflow with happiness ? 
Wouldst thou not exult and rejoice at this favor on the 
part of the blessed Mother of God, and no longer enter- 
tain a doubt of thy salvation, since she had assured thee 
of her all-powerful intercession ? 

If, then, we have (as is only right) such great confidence 
in the intercession of the Mother of God, why have we 
not the same, nay, even yet more, confidence in the most 
potent advocacy of the all-glorious Son of God, Who does 
not merely promise to be our mediator with His Father 



In the Hoiy Mass Christ Renews Hi's Intercession, 1 1 ! 

that we may attain the bliss of heaven, but actually does 
intercede for us in every Mass at which we are present 
in person, and restrains the execution of divine justice, 
so that we may not be punished as our misdeeds deserve, 
but be saved through grace ? Not with words alone does 
He plead; His tears speak too;%the five wounds of His 
adorable body, each drop of blood that fell from those 
wounds, every throb of His Sacred Heart, every sigh 
that escaped His breast — all these are voices eloquent on 
our behalf, voices whose cry ascends on high, which reach 
the throne of God, and move to compassion the tender 
heart of our Father in heaven. What is the grace which 
prayers such as these cannot obtain ? What the evil 
which they cannot avert ? What the favors they are im- 
potent to procure ? 

Since the foregoing pages will have sufficed thoroughly 
to convince us that Christ intercedes in holy Mass after 
a special manner on behalf of all who are present, why 
do we not go to Mass more frequently, in order to have 
a share in His intercessory supplications ? We are often 
heard to complain and deplore that we pray but ill; 
although if we go to Mass Christ will pray for us, and 
make amends for all our deficiencies. Hear how kindly 
He invites us: " Come to Me, all you that labor and are 
burdened, and I will refresh you." (St. Matt. xi. 28.) 
This He said when He was on earth; and now from the 
altar He seems to say: ^^ Come to Me, all you who can- 
not pray for yourselves, and I will pray for you." Why 
do not we, miserable sinnerSj^ avail ourselves of this invi- 
tation, and hasten to Him in holy Mass? We are accus- 
tomed when misfortunes overtake us to go to our fellow- 
creatures, to acquaint them with our trouble, and ask* for 
their prayers. If we trust to the prayers of men to help 
us, should we not place far more confidence in the all- 
efficacious, all-powerful prayer of Christ ? No one can 



112 In the Holy Mass Christ Reviews His Intercession, 

be certain of his salvation; when the disciples asked Oui 
Lord: " Who, then, can be saved ? " He answered: " With 
men it is impossible, but not with God." (St. Mark x. 
26, 27.) Since we hear from Christ's own lips that it is 
impossible of ourselves to insure our salvation, let us 
take refuge in holy Mas^ from the dangers that surround 
us, and Christ will intercede for us, and obtain for us an 
eternity of bliss. 

Do not, then, lament, and say: ** Wretched sinner that 
I am, I do not deserve, I am not worthy, that Christ 
should plead for me," but rather rest assured that if at 
holy Mass thou dost breathe but one sigh to Christ He 
will pray for thee; in fact He is bound to pray for thee. 
For St. Paul says in the Epistle to the Hebrews: " Every 
high priest is ordained for men in the things that apper- 
tain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for 
sins." (Heb. v. i.) Now since Christ has been appointed 
by God the Father to be our high priest, and since He 
fulfils His priestly functions in holy Mass, He is bound 
in virtue of His office to pray for the people, and offer 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Nor does He only offer 
it for the congregation taken as a whole, but for every 
individual member of it; just as He died for the whole 
world, and for each believer personally; as also He 
watches over all mankind in general, and over each one 
of us in particular. Therefore doubt no longer that 
Christ prays for thee, but believe it confidently if thou 
dost hear Mass with due devotion. 

From all that has been said we now understand full 
well how powerful and how earnest is the prayer Christ 
offers for us upon the altar, and how beneficial is its effect 
upon us. Only one thing yet remains, that we should 
unite our prayer to His, or rather should implore Him 
to make it one with His. For this union will render it 
so powerful that no other prayers can compare with it. 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Intercession. 1 1 3 

" The prayers said at Mass," Bishop Fornerus tells us, 
" offered in union with the holy sacrifice, have infinitely 
more value than any other prayers, however long, how- 
ever fervent, more even than ecstatic contemplations, in 
virtue of the merits of Christ's passion, the power of 
which is manifested in holy Mass by a superabundance 
of celestial gifts and graces. For as the head is the 
noblest portion of the body, no other member being com- 
parable to it, so does the prayer offered by Christ, our 
head, when He prays for us in the Mass surpass in dignity 
the prayers of all Christian people, who are His members.'* 
Therefore, if we unite our poor petitions which we 
offer during the Mass to the perfect prayer of Our Lord, 
they will, like a copper coin immersed in molten gold, be 
beautified and ennobled, and rendered meet to be borne 
to heaven, together with Our Lord's prayer, and with it 
presented to God as a precious oblation. Hence it fol- 
lows that prayers which are said at Mass-time, even if 
less good in themselves (provided this be not through 
our own fault), will have far more value than more fer- 
vent prayers said at home. How foolish, then, and blind 
to their own interests are they who choose to say their 
prayers in their own house when they might go to Mass, 
and thus greatly enhance their merit ! For if they were 
to perform their ordinary devotions whilst the holy sacri • 
fice was being offered, with the intention of assisting at 
it, only interrupting their prayers at the consecration to 
adore the sacred body and precious blood of the Saviour, 
they would merit far more than if they said the same 
prayers at home or out of doors. For they would be 
made partakers in all the graces that have been enumer- 
ated in these pages, and lay up a store of treasures in 
heaven. Wherefore take heed, O pious reader, that, as 
often as is possible, thou dost unite thy petitions to those 
of our blessed Lord in holy Mass. 



1 14 in the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

IN THE HOLY MASS CHRIST RENEWS HIS 
PASSION. 

A MONO all the mysteries of the life of Christ there is 
not one which can be meditated upon with greater 
profit, or which has a greater claim on our adoration, 
than His bitter passion and death, by means of which 
our redemption was effected. The fathers of the 
Church tell us that those who meditate upon and vene- 
rate Our Lord's passion will obtain a rich reward. There 
are many different methods of doing this, each profitable 
in its way, but none can be better than that of hearing 
Mass attentively; for then the bitter passion is in reality 
suffered anew, reiterated for our benefit, and conse- 
quently we can meditate upon it more easily, and repre- 
sent it to ourselves more forcibly. 

That the passion of Christ is renewed in holy Mass 
must be clearly apparent to every one. Everything 
recalls it and points to it, and preeminently the sign of 
the cross, which meets our eye continuall}^ In the 
altar-stone five crosses are engraven, and in consecrating 
it the bishop made the sign of the cross more than a 
hundred times. The sacred vessels and the sacerdotal 
vestments are all marked with the cross. During the 
celebration of Mass the priest crosses himself sixteen 
times, and blesses the oblation with the same sign twenty- 
nine times. What is this constant reiteration of the sign 
of the cross intended to signify if not that the sacrifice 
of blood offered by Christ upon the cross, that is, His 



tn the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion. 1 1 J 

bitter passion and death, is represented, repeated, renewed 
upon the altar ? 

Although Our Lord at the Last Supper expressly said: 
*^ Do this for a commemoration of Me," yet the holy sac- 
rifice of the Mass is not simply a commemoration, but a 
renewal, of the passion of Christ. Holy Church teaches: 
" Whosoever shall say that the sacrifice of the Mass is 
only a remembrance of the sacrifice of the cross, let him 
be anathema." And in the same session of the Council 
of Trent (xxii. ch. 2) she states: ^' In this divine sacrifice 
which is celebrated in the Mass that same Christ is 
contained and immolated in an unbloody manner Who 
once offered Himself in a bloody manner on the altar of 
the cross." Had we no other authority than this, it 
ought to content us, and remove all doubt from our 
minds. For what the Catholic Church, under the guid- 
ance of the Holy Spirit, teaches and sets before us for 
our acceptance, that we are bound to believe firmly, and 
never in any wise to gainsay. Now the Church definitely 
declares that the same Christ Who in times past made 
the sacrifice of Himself upon the cross in a painful man- 
ner, with shedding of blood, is now truly present in 
holy Mass, and is immolated afresh, but after a bloodless 
and painless manner. 

In proof and corroboration of this the Church further 
asserts: " For the victim is one and the same; the same 
now offering by the ministry of priests Who then offered 
Himself on the cross, the manner alone of offering being 
different." That is to say: in both these sacrifices, that 
of the cross and that of the Mass, the same victim is 
offered, and He Who offers the sacrifices, both the one 
and the other, is the same, even Christ; but the manner 
in which He offers Himself in the one place and in the 
other is different. On the cross He offered Himself, a 
sacrifice of blood, although He was put to death by the 



1 16 hi the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion, 

hands of the executioners; on the altar He likewise offers 
Himself, this time by the hands and the ministry of 
priests, by whom He is immolated, but in a bloodless 
manner. 

The word immolate, from the Latin imniolare^ to slay, 
is frequently employed by the Church in the Ordinary of 
the Mass. St. Augustine also makes use of it when he 
says: "Christ was indeed only once immolated in per- 
son, yet He is immolated every day for the people in the 
sacrament or in holy Mass." The word is a peculiar 
one; it is constantly employed in the Scriptures in refer- 
ence to the slaughter and sacrifice of the victims that 
were offered upon the altar. Now by employing the 
same word in speaking of the Mass the Church intends 
to indicate that Christ is offered up in holy Mass not 
merely by the word of the priest, nor by the elevation 
of the Adorable Sacrament, but that, as the sacrificial 
lamb. He is mystically made to suffer, immolated and 
slain, as we shall proceed to show more explicitly. 

St. Cyprian tells us: "The sacrifice we offer is the 
passion of Christ." By this he evidently meant to say: 
When we say Mass, we reiterate what was enacted in 
Christ's passion. St. Gregory enunciates this truth still 
more plainly: " Although Christ dies not again, yet He 
suffers again for us in the sacrifice of the Mass after a 
mysterious, mystical manner." Theodoret speaks no less 
plainly: " We offer no other sacrifice but that which was 
offered upon the cross." 

It would be easy to quote many other authorities in 
proof of this, but for sake of brevity we will pass them 
by and content ourselves with the infallible testimony 
of the Church, who dictates to us the following prayer 
amongst the secreta, for the ninth Sunday after Pentecost: 
"Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, worthily to fre- 
quent these mysteries; since as often as the remem- 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion. 1 17 

brance of the victim is celebrated, so often is the work of 
our redemption carried on." Here the question arises: 
What may the work of our redemption be ? This every 
child can answer; for if you ask him, By what are we 
redeemed ? he will answer: Through the sufferings of 
Christ. Thus, if the Church declares that this work is 
carried on in .every Mass, it follows that the passion of 
Christ is renewed in every Mass. We find the same 
truth expressed in the secret prayer for the festival of 
some martyrs (Nov. 8): "May Thy plentiful blessing 
descend, O Lord, upon us, and both render our gifts 
agreeable to Thee, and be to us a sacrament of redemp- 
tion." These words must not be understood to mean 
that we are redeemed over again in holy Mass, but that 
in the Mass the fruits of our redemption may be com- 
municated to us, as the Church says elsewhere: ** May 
the effect of our redemption be applied to us through 
this sacrament." 

Another writer says: '^ What else is holy Mass than a 
renewal of our redemption ? " Again Molina beautifully 
formulates the same truth: "Holy Mass is infinitely 
superior to any other oblation that is offered; for it is 
not merely an image of our redemption: it is the very 
work itself, wrapped in mystery, but truly carried on." 
The testimony which has been adduced will amply suf- 
fice to convince every one that holy Mass is a renewal of 
Christ's passion, and that the gentle Lamb of God is 
mystically slain anew in every Mass which is celebrated. 
The following instance will illustrate this truth: 

A Saracen prince named Amerumnes had occasion to 
send his nephew to the town of Amplona in Syria, where 
a splendid church had been erected and dedicated to St. 
George. As soon as the Saracen descried this church 
from afar he told his servants to stable the camels there 
and put their provender upon the altar. On arriving 



1 1 8 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion, 

they prepared to execute these orders; but the priests 
interposed, warning the prince against such a desecration 
of the house of God. No heed was paid to their re- 
monstrance; the camels were driven into the church; 
as soon, however, as they crossed the threshold they fell 
down dead. This alarmed the Saracen, and he com- 
manded his followers to remove the bodies of the camels 
from the church. 

The day on which this occurred happened to be a 
festival, and a large congregation had assembled to hear 
Mass. The priest was almost afraid to begin, for he 
dreaded some act of profanation on the part of the 
Saracen, who stationed himself near the altar that he 
might observe the ceremonies of the Mass. He watched 
them attentively; and when the celebrant, according to 
the Greek rite, divided the consecrated host into four 
parts with a knife, it appeared to the interested onlooker 
as if he were cutting the flesh of a beauteous child, whose 
blood flowed into the chalice. Roused to indignation at 
this sight, he would have run the priest through with his 
sword on the spot had not curiosity as to what would 
ensue restrained him. When, at the time of communion, 
the priest consumed the sacred elements, to the eyes of 
the Saracen they bore, not the semblance of bread and 
wine, but of real flesh and blood. In every host which 
was administered to the communicants he observed the 
same appearance. ^* What barbarians these Christians 
must be ! '' he said to himself. " At their idolatrous 
rites they slay a child, whose flesh they eat. I will 
surely avenge the cruel murder of this innocent babe, 
and put these savage monsters to a miserable end." At 
the conclusion of the Mass the priest distributed the 
eulogia, or blessed bread, to the people, and gave a piece 
to the stranger. " What is this ? " he angrily asked. The 
priest answered: "It is blessed bread." Then the un- 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion, 1 19 

believer exclaimed aloud: " Is this what you offer upon 
the altar, inhuman wretch ? Have I not myself seen 
you slay a sweet child with your own hands, eat His flesh 
and drink His blood ? and did you not afterwards give it 
to others ? " The priest, amazed beyond expression, re 
plied humbly: ** My lord, I am a sinner, unworthy to 
look upon mysteries so sublime; since you have been 
privileged to behold them, you must enjoy great favo^ 
with God." The Saracen then asked whether it had not 
been as he had seen. The priest replied that so indeed 
it was; but to the eyes of sinful man it was not given to 
penetrate this deep mystery, and he saw nothing more 
than bread and wine, which by the words of consecration 
were changed into the body and blood of Christ. So 
deeply was the Saracen impressed by what he had seen 
and heard that he expressed the wish to become a 
Christian, and begged to be baptized. But the priest, 
fearing the anger of the prince's uncle, refused to com- 
ply with his request, bidding him, if he were really in 
earnest, to betake himself to the bishop on Mount 
Sinai and relate to him what he had witnessed; the 
bishop would then instruct him in the Christian faith 
and admit him to holy Baptism. Thereupon the Saracea 
returned to his followers, without, however, telling them 
a word of what had passed; under cover of night, dis- 
guised in a palmer's weeds, he secretly took his depart- 
ure, and made his way to Mount Sinai, where he ac- 
quainted the bishop with the cause of his conversion. 
He was duly instructed and baptized, the name of 
Pachomius being given to him. Later on he became a 
monk. After three years spent in austere penance he 
returned, with his superior's permission, to his home, in 
the hope of converting his father. He was, however, 
put to cruel torture and finally stoned to death. 

This miracle proves to us not only that the body and 



I20 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion. 

blood of Our Lord are really present in the Adorable 
Sacrament, but also that He is truly immolated upon the 
altar, mystically, although not actually. To the Saracen 
it was given to see the priest in the Mass apparently 
dividing the flesh of a child, in order that he who was a 
complete unbeliever might, by his astonishment at what 
he beheld, be led to inquire, and to embrace the Christian 
religion. Moreover, God willed that this occurrence 
should be recorded, and handed down to posterity, to 
increase our knowledge, and confirm our faith in this 
transcendent mystery. For although in holy Mass Christ 
does not suffer physical pain or death, yet He displays 
Himself to His heavenly Father under the same pitiable 
appearance which He presented when scourged, crowned 
with thorns, and crucified; and this as distinctly as if 
He were again enduring these tortures in reality for the 
sins of the world. 

On this subject Lancicius says: ^^ Holy Mass is a rep- 
resentation of the sufferings and death of Christ, not 
only in words, as anything may be reproduced upon the 
stage, but in deed and reality; hence the fathers of the 
Church call the Mass a repetition of Christ's passion, and 
•allege that in it after a mystical manner He again suf- 
fers and is crucified." These are the words of a spiritual 
writer, the author of learned works on the mysteries of 
the Mass. We will give another instance in corrobo- 
ration of what has been said. 

In the lives of the fathers we read of an old, unlettered 
hermit, who could not grasp the truth of the real pres- 
ence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. He used to 
say: *^ In the Holy Sacrament of the Altar we have not 
the body of Christ, but His image." Two other aged 
hermits, hearing this, went to him and endeavored to 
show him his error, expounding to him the teaching of 
the Catholic Church, and supporting their arguments by 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion, 121 

passages from the Holy Scriptures. But he would not 
be convinced: nothing short of a miracle, he said, could 
make him believe it. The hermits spent the week in 
prayer; when Sunday came, and they were all three 
present in the chapel at Mass, they saw, after the conse- 
cration, a child of great beauty on the altar in the place 
of the host. This sight filled them with holy joy. But 
their joy was changed to horror when, just at the break- 
ing of the host, they saw an angel pierce the child with 
a knife, and collect in the chalice the blood which 
flowed from the wound. And when the man who refused 
to believe the doctrine of transubstantiation approached 
the altar to receive communion, as the priest was about 
to administer to him the Adorable Sacrament, he saw 
that it was blood-stained, and bore the appearance of 
flesh. Thereupon he cried aloud: ** O Lord Jesus, I ac- 
knowledge my unbelief, and deplore my obstinate con- 
tinuance in it. I steadfastly believe the consecrated 
bread to be Thy sacred body, the chalice Thy sacred 
blood. I beseech Thee again to conceal Thyself under 
the form of the host, that I may receive Thee to my 
soul's profit." His prayer was heard; he devoutly re- 
ceived communion, returned thanks to God and to the 
two fathers who had shown him his error, and proclaimed 
to all around what he had been privileged to behold in 
holy Mass. 

Here we have additional evidence that Jesus Christ is 
not merely present in person and in reality in the sacred 
host, but that in holy Mass He renews His bitter passion. 
" Just as He once took upon Himself the sins of the 
whole world, that He might wash them away with His 
blood, so are our sins now laid upon Him, the same lamb 
Who is to be immolated upon the altar to atone for our 
transgressions." These words give the reason why Christ 
renews His passion and death in every Mass that is said; 



122 In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion, 

we will, however, proceed to elucidate the subject some- 
what more fully. 

THE REASON WHY CHRIST RENEWS HIS PASSION IN 

HOLY MASS. 

The cause wherefore Christ suffered His bitter passion 
cannot be better expressed than in the following words of 
Father Segneri, S.J.: **When Christ was upon earth, by 
His divine omniscience He foresaw that, in spite of His 
bitter passion, many millions of mankind would not par- 
ticipate in the redemption He purchased for them, and 
consequently would be doomed to eternal perdition. In 
the infinite love which He, as our elder brother, bore to 
us, and in His desire for our salvation, He offered Him- 
self to His heavenly Father, declaring Himself willing to 
hang upon the cross, not three hours only, but until the 
end of time, in order that the tears He shed, the blood 
that flowed from His veins, His fervent prayers and sighs, 
might assuage the severity of divine justice, and move 
the divine compassion and loving-kindness to ordain 
some means whereby the loss of so vast a number of souls 
might be prevented.*' 

St. Bonaventure, in his meditations, also says that Christ 
was ready to remain upon the cross until the end of the 
world, and other theologians concur in this opinion. 
Our Lord Himself has, furthermore, revealed to many 
saints that He would suffer over again all that He suf- 
fered for the whole world for the sake of one sinner. 

The Eternal Father did not accept the offer made by 
the Saviour to prolong His passion upon the cross until 
the last day; the three hours of His crucifixion were 
amply sufficient; and in His omniscience He knew that 
whosoever failed to share in the merits of the sacred 
passion would h^iye only hirnself tP W^iTi^ for the lo^§ Qf 
his §oult 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion, 123 

Far from quenching the ardor of Christ's love for 
man, this sentence only kindled it the more, and strength- 
ened His desire to rescue us unhappy sinners from 
eternal damnation. Therefore in His divine wisdom He 
devised a means whereby He could remain on earth after 
His death, continue Plis saving passion, unceasingly 
plead with God for man as He did when nailed upon the 
cross. What was this wondrous means ? None other 
than the most holy sacrifice of the Mass, wherein He 
daily, continually, suffers mystically upon the cross; suf- 
fers for us, pleads for us, calls upon God for grace and 
mercy on our behalf with irresistible urgency. 

In the Bollandists' life of St. Colette (6th March), who 
was remarkable for her great devotion to holy Mass, it 
is said: On one occasion, when she was assisting at the 
Mass said by her confessor, she was heard, at the conse- 
cration, to exclaim: "O my God, my Jesus I O angels 
and saints, O inen and sinners, what marvels are these 
that we see and hear ! ** After Mass her confessor asked 
what had made her cry aloud in this manner. She re= 
plied: " When your reverence elevated the sacred host, I 
beheld Christ upon the cross, the blood flowing from 
His precious wounds; at the same time I heard Him 
thus address the Eternal Father: Look upon this body 
of flesh, in which I hung upon the cross, in which I suf- 
fered for mankind. Look upon My wounds, look upon 
the, blood that I shed, consider My sufferings, consider 
My death. All this I endured to save sinners. Now, if 
Thou dost consign them to perdition on account of their 
iniquities, and deliver them over to the devil, what com- 
pensation shall I have for My bitter passion, for My 
cruel death ? The reprobate sinners will render Me no 
thanks; on the contrary, they will curse Me to all eternity. 
But if they were saved they would praise and magnify 
Me forever in gratitude for My sufferings, For My sake, 



124 ^^^ i^^ Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passio?i. 

therefore, spare these sinners, O My Father, and preserve 
them from eternal damnation." 

By this we may understand how earnestly Our Lord 
intercedes for us in holy Mass, and implores His 
heavenly Father to have mercy upon us. For since the 
Mass is a renewal of His passion, while it is celebrated 
that must be enacted over again which was carried on 
upon the cross. On the cross Jesus cried with a loud 
voice: " Father, forgive them, for they know not what 
they do." (St. Luke xxiii. 34.) In like manner in holy 
Mass He cries from the altar, asking forgiveness for all 
sinners indeed, but yet more especially for those who 
are present at Mass. The voice with which He cries is 
so powerful, so persuasive, that it pierces the clouds, and 
reaches the heart of the Eternal Father. Thus Christ 
fulfils His office of mediator; as St. John says: *' We 
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just; 
and He is the propitiation for our sins." (i. St. John ii. 
I, 2.) And St. Paul writes: ** Christ Jesus that died, 
yea, that is risen also again; Who is at the right hand of 
God, Who also maketh intercession for us." (Rom. viii. 
34.) He intercedes for us in heaven, but more es- 
pecially He intercedes for us at the altar, because there 
He exercises His sacerdotal functions, and, as St, Paul 
says, it appertains to the priest to offer sacrifices for the 
sins of the people. (Heb. v. i.) 

St. Laurence Justinian bears the same testimony vghen 
he says: ** When Christ is immolated upon the altar, He 
speaks to His Father, He shows Him the marks of the 
wounds on His sacred body, that by His intercession we 
may be saved from eternal torment." How much is 
done for our welfare by Christ's prayers from the altar • 
How^ often would calamities have befallen us had they 
not been averted by His prayers ! How many thou- 
sands of the blessed, now happy in heaveUj would be in 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion. 125 

hell had not Christ by His intercession saved them 
from that place of torment ! Let us, therefore, go fre- 
quently and gladly to Mass, in the hope that we may 
have a share in His intercession, be preserved from evil, 
and, through that omnipotent mediator, obtain from God 
that which of ourselves we cannot obtain. 

We have now seen the principal reason why Christ 
renews His passion in holy Mass; it is in order to be 
able to intercede for us with as much efficacy as when 
He hung upon the cross, and to move His heavenly 
Father to compassion by the sight of His sufferings. 

Another reason of the renewal of Christ's passion in the 
Mass is this: in order to apply to us the fruits of His sac- 
rifice of Himself upon the cross. We shall understand 
this better if we bear in mind that, throughout the whole 
course of His life, and preeminently on the cross, He 
earned an infinite store of merits, of which only a few 
pious persons, who were found worthy to receive them^ 
were then made partakers. He now communicates these 
treasures daily on many occasions, but chiefly during 
holy Mass. A pious writer tells us: *' That which on the 
cross was a sacrifice of redemption is in holy Mass a 
sacrifice of appropriation, whereby the virtue and the 
power of the sacrifice of the cross is applied to each 
one individually." These are joyful and reassuring 
words for the sinner. It has not been our privilege to 
stand beneath the cross on Calvary, and share in the 
fruits of that stupendous sacrifice; but if we hear Mass 
with attention the virtue and power of the sacrifice of 
the cross will be applied to our souls, not, indeed, in 
quite the same manner, yet to each one in particular 
according to the depth of his devotion. 

Now see what an immense benefit it is for us that 
Christ renews His passion in holy Mass for our sakes, 
bestowing upon and applying to us the merit of it ! And 



120 tn the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion, 

why, thinkest thou, does He do this? Principally that 
we may take for our own the merits of that passion, and 
offer them to Almighty God, to the great profit of our 
souls. St. Mechtilde tells us of what advantage this 
offering is to us. To her Christ once said: "Behold, I 
bestow all My bitter sufferings upon thee, that they may 
be thine own, and thou give them back, and offer them 
to Me/* And that we might know that this gift is 
made to us preeminently in holy Mass Our Lord added: 
** He who offers up to Me My passion, which I have 
made his, shall receive twofold for all that he gives, as 
I have said: He shall receive a hundredfold, and shall 
possess life everlasting." 

These words are indeed full of comfort. Happy 
above measure are we in possessing holy Mass, since in 
it Christ bestows on us treasures of great price, which it 
is within our power to increase and augment. If we do 
but say to Our Lord: ** I offer Thee, O Jesus, Thy bitter 
passion/' He replies: ** My child, I give it back to Thee 
in twofold measure," and if we offer Him His precious 
blood the answer is the same, for whatever portion of 
His sufferings we present to Him He returns us double 
for all we offer. This He will do as often as we offer to 
Him as our own any part of His passion. Truly this 
is good usury, an easy method of acquiring spiritual 
riches ! 

There is yet another reason for the renewal of Christ's 
passion in holy Mass. He does this in order that the 
faithful, for whom it is impossible to have assisted at the 
sacrifice of the cross, may, by assisting at Mass, earn the 
same graces and merits as if they had actually stood be- 
neath the cross, provided they do so with the same de- 
votion. This is saying a great deal, for it is tantamount 
to saying: See how great a sacrifice is ours ' It is not 
merely a memorial of the sacrifice once offered upon the 



In the Holy Mass Christ Renews His Passion. 1 27 

6ross: it is one and the same, and will always be the 
5ame. Moreover, the fruits it produces are identical 
with those produced by the sacrifice of the cross. This 
assertion appears almost incredible. Can it possibly be 
that the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the self-same sacri- 
fice that was offered on Calvary ? Can it possibly pro- 
duce the same effects as Christ's passion ? That this is 
so proves how admirable and how efficacious a sacri- 
fice it is. Listen to the words of Molina on this point. 

** Christ has ordained that His Church should perpetu- 
ally offer the same sacrifice which He offered upon the 
cross, the identical sacrifice although it be offered not 
in a bloody, but an unbloody, manner. I say the same 
sacrifice, yet the Mass contains infinitely more graces 
and excellencies. As it is the same sacrifice as that of 
the cross, it must possess the same potency, and the 
same merit, and be equally acceptable to God. That it 
is really and essentially the same may be seen from the 
fact that the victim is the same, the priest is the same; 
it is offered to the same God, with the same object. 
The only difference consists in this, that the manner of 
offering is not the same; for then upon the cross Christ 
was immolated with pain and shedding of blood, 
whereas now in a painless and unbloody manner." 

Ponder then, O Christian, these forcible words; con- 
sider the priceless value of the sacrifice of the Mass, its 
great dignity, its immense potency. Not only do we 
know this from the teaching of pious and learned'men : 
Holy Church declares expressly that the sacrifice of the 
cross and the sacrifice of the Mass are one and the same. 

Hence we see clearly that we can do as much to 
please Our Lord, and acquire as much merit for our- 
selves, when we hear Mass as we should have done had 
we been present on Calvary, if we are no less devout and 
recollected than we should have been standing beneath 



128 In the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed, 

the cross. Ought we not to consider ourselves supremely 
fortunate in being able daily to witness Christ's passion 
in holy Mass, and apply the fruits of it to our souls ? 
Fortunate indeed in that we can in spirit stand beneath 
the cross of the dying Saviour, that we can behold Him 
with our eyes, speak to Him with our lips, tell Him our 
troubles, obtain from Him help and consolation, just as 
those did who were present in person at the crucifixion. 
How highly we ought to prize the favors Christ thus daily 
places within our reach; how anxious should we be to 
claim a share in the graces He thus holds out to us ! 



CHAPTER IX. 

IN THE HOLY MASS THE DEATH OF CHRIST IS 

RENEWED. 

HTHE evangelist St. John tells us that Christ once said: 
*^ Greater love than this no man hath, that a man 
lay down his life for his friends." (St. John xv. 13.) 
There is nothing dearer or more precious to a man than 
his soul or his life ; therefore in giving this up for a 
friend he gives up what is most valuable to him. But 
Christ went further than this; in His love for mankind 
he gave His life, not only for His friends, but also for 
His nwst inveterate enemies. Therefore His was no 
ordinary soul, but one which was holy and noble beyond 
compare. In the Gospel of St. John Our Lord says: 
" I lay down My life for My sheep." {Ibid. x. 15.) 
These words have apparently a special meaning; for Our 
Lord does not say: "I will lay down My life for My 
sheep," nor, " I have laid it down," but, " I lay down My 
life for My sheep"; that is to say, **I continue con- 



tn the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed. 1 29 

stantly to give My life for believers." This He does 
daily in holy Mass, wherein His death is renewed. The 
manner in which this is effected will now be explained. . 

In old times it was customary in Lent to act a passion- 
play, to place before the minds of the people more 
vividly the sufferings of Christ. A young man used 
to be fastened to a cross, and after hanging there for 
some time he used to feign the outward signs of ap- 
proaching dissolution, as if expiring of agony, so that 
the spectators were moved to tears. Now in holy Mass 
no one plays the part of the Saviour; He offers Him- 
self, He expires in person. He does not commission an 
angel or a saint to act for Him, for they could not do 
what He does as He does it. Day after day He re- 
enacts His passion in the sight of heaven and earth, that 
it may always be had in remembrance by God in holy 
Mass as it was enacted on Calvary. We will give an 
anecdote in illustration of this, and then confirm it by 
the teaching of theologians. 

Cesar of Heisterbach relates that in his monastery 
there was a father named Gottschalk who, whilst saying 
the midnight Mass at Christmas at a side-altar, with 
much devotion and tears, beheld after the consecration 
a child of wondrous beauty in his hands instead of the 
sacred host. He clasped the child in his arms and 
kissed it, his soul meanwhile being filled with ineffable 
sweetness. In a few moments the child vanished, and the 
priest ended his Mass. Before his death, which occurred 
shortly after, he related to the bishop what he had seen. 
The bishop was much struck with it, and gave an ac- 
count of the apparition to one of his priests who 
thought rather lightly of the sacerdotal office. This 
priest listened to it attentively, and at the end said with 
a sigh: "Alas! why does God reveal these things to 
saints and men who are perfect in faith ? He ought 



1 30 In the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed. 

rather to permit unhappy sinners like myself, who are 
apt to doubt the reality of His presence in the Blessed 
Sacrament, thus to see behind the veil." Not long after, 
while he was one day standing at the altar, it was given 
to this same priest to see what good Father Gottschalk 
saw. As he was in the act of breaking the sacred host 
before the Agnus Dei he beheld a child of striking love- 
liness in his hands. Covered with confusion at the 
sight, he turned the sacred host, and lo ! there was Christ 
upon the cross. His head bowed down, apparently at the 
point of death. The priest was deeply touched; he 
nearly fainted; tears streamed from his eyes as he gazed 
on the figure of the dying Saviour, and he knew not 
whether to proceed with the Mass. But the vision 
quickly vanished, the host regained its former shape, and 
the Mass was concluded amid many tears. The congre- 
gation in the interim were anxious to know what had 
befallen their pastor, why he had been such a long time 
over the Mass, and why he had wept so freely. Con- 
scious of this, he immediately went up into the pulpit? 
and told them of the vision he had had of the infant 
Christ and of the dying Saviour. The impression he 
had received was deep and permanent; he amended his 
life, did penance for his former negligence, and to the 
day of his death was in every respect a model for the 
imitation of his parishioners. 

This vision shows us to a certain extent how our Re- 
deemer, in holy Mass, places His cruel death before God 
the Father and God the Holy Ghost, besides the whole 
company of heavenly spirits, in such a manner as not to 
give them grief, but to acquaint them with the immensity 
of the love which led Him thus to suffer for the redemp- 
tion of the world. Could we for once be privileged to 
see as that priest did our expiring Lord in the sacred 
host, how willingly, how attentively, should we hear 



in the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed. 131 

Mass ! how profoundly should we compassionate Our 
Saviour in His agony ! We may behold this if we will, 
not with our bodily eyes, it is true, but with the eyes of 
faith. As often as we kindle within us such faith we 
please Our Lord and earn a rich recompense for our- 
selves. For the purpose of enabling us to believe more 
firmly Christ gives us some clear and plain signs of His 
death in the Mass, which are thus expounded to us by 
those who are learned in the divine science: 

When, at the Last Supper, Jesus converted bread and 
wine into His sacred body and blood. He did not 
change both at the same time, nor under one form, but 
changed each separately, and under two distinct forms. 
He might have said the words: "This is My body and 
My blood," over the bread; had He done so, the bread 
would have been truly His living body and blood, but 
He would not thus have manifested His death to us in 
so clear a manner. He chose, therefore, first to change 
the bread only, by virtue of the words of consecration, 
into His sacred body and give it to His disciples to 
eat, and afterwards the wine into His sacred blood, and 
give it also separately to His disciples. And by the 
guidance of the Holy Spirit He has taught His Church 
to ordain that the priest should first change the bread 
into His sacred body, and elevate it, and then proceed to 
change the wine into His blood, and elevate that also 
separately, to bring His death more definitely before the 
minds of the people. 

On this subject Lancicius says: " Because, in the 
order of nature, dissolution follows upon the total sepa- 
ration of the blood from the body, this being the imme- 
diate cause of Christ's death upon the cross, the manner 
in which He chose to accomplish the sacrifice of Him- 
self, therefore in the holy sacrifice of the Mass His 
death is likewise set forth by the separation of His blood 



132 In the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed. 

from His body. Thus by the words of consecration 
His body becomes present under the form of the bread, 
His blood beneath that /of the wine, each distinct and 
apart from the other." This is a true immolation of 
Christ, wherein the substances of bread and wine are 
changed and annihilated. 

In explanation of this Gervase says: "The victim 
offered in holy Mass is Christ; not, indeed, under the 
form He wears in heaven, but as He is under the form 
of the bread and of the wine, as it Avere dead: for He is in 
a condition of immobility and inaction, as far as all the 
powers of the body are concerned. But at the same 
time He can exercise all the powers of the soul, the 
understanding, the will, etc." 

The mind of man cannot fully conceive, nor the 
tongue of man adequately express, how acceptable to 
Almighty God is this representation and reproduction of 
Christ's passion. Yet we must endeavor to form some 
idea of it. When Christ thus places His death before 
God the Father in the Mass, He renders Him the same 
perfect obedience which He formerly rendered to Him. 
In every respect His obedience was perfect, but never 
did it cost His human nature so dear as when He sub- 
mitted to the death upon the cross. St. Paul thus speaks 
of this act: "He humbled Himself, becoming obedient 
unto death, even to the death of the cross." And that 
we might know how pleasing to God the Father this 
obedience, so difficult to flesh and blood, was, and how 
richly it was recompensed, he adds: " For which cause 
God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name 
which is above all names." (Phil. ii. 8, 9.) This per- 
fect obedience Christ offers to His Father in holy Mass, 
and with it He offers the heroic virtues that marked His 
passion and death: His spotless innocence. His pro- 
found humility. His invincible patience, the ardent 



In the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed. 133 

charity He displayed not only towards His Father, but 
towards His executioners, His enemies, and towards us, 
ungrateful sinners that we are. 

Furthermore, He places before Him the pain He suf- 
fered, the blows His tender heart received, the fear 
of death that disquieted Him, the dislocation of all His 
bones, finally, the thrust of the lance that pierced His 
sacred side. All these He places before Him as vividly 
as if all were happening over again at the present time, 
thus awakening anew the satisfaction God the Father 
experienced at the death of His beloved Son, when He 
saw how willingly He endured the bitterness of death out 
of love to Him and for His greater glory. And as 
Christ then appeased His Father's anger, obtained pardon 
for transgressors, and reconciled the world to God, so 
He does now in every Mass, procuring for us blessings 
for which we can never be grateful enough. 

Let us now hear what pious and learned men say re- 
specting the immense benefits which come to us by this 
renewal of Christ's death. First of all let us listen to 
Pope St. Gregory: ^^ This victim preserves souls from 
eternal perdition in a special manner, for it represents 
the death of the only-begotten Son of God." What con- 
solation do not these words convey to the heart of those 
who on account of their sins are apprehensive concern- 
ing their eternal salvation. For St. Gregory, whose 
writings were inspired by the Holy Ghost, expressly 
states that because the Mass reproduces mystically the 
death of Christ it thereby possesses in an especial man- 
ner the power of preserving souls from everlasting death. 
Let us, therefore, be diligent in hearing Mass, let us 
venerate the death of Christ, and offer it as an oblation 
to God the Father, that we may escape eternal perdi- 
tion. 

The learned IJansi expresses himself in the following 



1 34 In the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed, 

instructive and encouraging manner : " Since the only- 
begotten Son of God, Who offered Himself as a victim 
upon the altar of the cross, is sacrificed afresh in the 
Mass, it follows of necessity that the sacrifice of the Mass 
is of as great value as the sacrifice of the cross." We 
shall proceed to show the truth of this saying, and how 
it is to be rightly understood. 

No less reassuring is what Cardinal Hosius says : 
^' Although in holy Mass we do not crucify Christ afresh, 
yet we make ourselves partakers in His death as much 
as if this were the case. In the sacrifice of the cross 
His death was with shedding of blood; in the sacrifice 
of the Mass His death is bloodless and mystical, yet it 
produces the same fruit as the sacrifice of blood, just as 
if the latter were now being carried on." Does it not 
seem strange, this that we are taught, that the repro- 
duction of Christ's death in an invisible manner should 
produce the same effects as His actual and visible 
death ? Yet so the cardinal declares, for he adds : " For 
we are made to participate in the Mass in the fruits of 
Christ's death just as if He were expiring before our eyes." 
As this is so, who can estimate the power and efficacy of 
holy Mass, the blessings it contains for those who piously 
assist at it? Hadst thou stood, O reader, upon Calvary 
beside thy dying Saviour, how great the graces, the 
spiritual treasures, thou wouldst have carried away with 
thee thence ! Thou wilt find no less rich a store, which 
thou canst make thine own, in holy Mass, if thou hear- 
est it in the same spirit as if thou wert in the presence 
of thy dying Redeemer. 

Concerning this the Abbot Rupert remarks : " Just as 
Christ when hanging upon the cross granted forgive- 
ness of sins to all who came to Him, even so when 
present under the form of bread and wine He grants the 
same forgiveness of sins to all the faithful," These 



In the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed. 135 

words encourage us to hope that by hearing Mass 
piously we may work off a good portion of the penalty 
due to our sins. 

In the writings of Father Segneri this forcible passage 
occurs : *' The sacrifice of the cross wrought the remis- 
sion of sin in general; in holy Mass the virtue of Christ's 
blood is applied to this and that person individually. 
By His death and passion Christ collected the riches 
which in the Mass are dealt out to us. His death 
is a treasury, Mass the key that unlocks it." Hence, 
when we go to Mass, Christ puts, as it were, into our 
harid the key of His well-stored treasury, and allows us 
to enter and carry away graces in proportion to the de- 
votion of our heart. 

The same writer says further : ^^ Observe, therefore, 
what it really means to say or to hear Mass. To do so 
is equivalent to causing God, Who once died for all man- 
kind, to die over again, in a mystical manner, for me, 
and thee, and each one present, just as if He suffered 
death for the sake of each one individually." Lay these 
words to heart, O Christian reader; consider the love 
wherewith Christ requites thee when thou hearest Mass 
for love of Him. He repays thy service so liberally 
that He is ready to give His life for thee, and to bestow 
on thee the merits of His death. He does in fact die 
for thee spiritually, and would die again for thee cor- 
porally, and with the same suffering as of yore, were this 
possible and necessary. 

Our Lady once spoke thus to an eminent servant of 
God: " So great is the charity of my Son towards those 
who assist at holy Mass that He would, if needful, die 
for each one as many times as that individual had heard 
Mass; but this is not necessary, because His merits are 
infinite." So astonishing is this statement that one 
seems hardly able tg believe it; yet it is in b*irmony 



1 36 In the Holy Mass the Death of Christ is Renewed, 

with the infinite charity of Christ, which urges Him daily 
to sacrifice Himself, not once, but many thousand times, 
in a spiritual manner for hapless sinners. Let us re- 
solve, therefore, to hear Mass daily with devout atten- 
tion, to go in spirit with Christ to Calvary, to stand by 
him during His passion and at His death. The author 
of the Imiiatio7i bids us do this in the passage already 
quoted: "As often as thou sayest or hearest Mass it 
ought to seem to thee as great, as new, and as delightful 
as if Christ, that same day first hanging on the cross, was 
suffering and dying for the salvation of men." (Bk. iv. 
ch. 2.). Yes, He truly suffers and dies in a mystical man- 
ner for each one who hears Mass, and that with the same 
charity wherewith He sacrificed Himself in His body 
upon the cross for all the human race. 

What unfathomable charity, what boundless grace, 
is this that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, should die in 
a mystic manner for those who hear Mass, as He once 
died visibly for the whole world ! How profitable, how 
salutary, is this for us ! How great are the merits we 
may gain ! Hadst thou been present on Calvary, and 
hadst thou there offered to God the Father the sufferings 
of His Son in His last agony, thinkest thou not that 
thou wouldst have obtained the pardon of all thy sins ? 
The loving Father would doubtless have granted thee, a 
repentant sinner, full remission of thy guilt and its pen- 
alties for the sake of His dear Son Who died for thee. 
Well, then, thou canst ask this forgiveness in holy Mass, 
because Jesus is truly present there, in the same sacred 
humanity in which He suffered and died. 



The Shedding of Chris fs Blood Renewed in the Mass. 137 



CHAPTER X. 

IN THE HOLY MASS THE SHEDDING OF CHRIST'S 
BLOOD IS RENEWED. 

C T. PAUL, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, thus describes 
the custom under the Old Dispensation of sprinkling 
the people with the blood of the sacrificial victim, that by 
this sprinkling all might be purified and sanctified: 
'* When every commandment of the law had been read 
by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves 
and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and 
sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying: 
This is the blood of the testament, which God hath en- 
joined unto you. The tabernacle also, and all the ves- 
sels of the ministry, in like manner, he sprinkled with 
blood. And almost all things, according to the law, are 
cleansed with blood: and without shedding of blood 
there is no remission." (Heb. ix. 19-22.) This shedding 
of blood and sprinkling were a type of the shedding of 
Christ's blood, and the sprinkling of that divine blood 
upon us, which is far more efficacious for the washing 
away of sin than the blood of the Jewish rite. For St. 
Paul says in the same chapter: " If the blood of goats 
and of oxen sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing 
of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ 
cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the 
living God?" {Ibid) 

But some one reading this may perhaps say: " Christ 
shed His sacred blood in His passion, and the believers 
living at that time were sprinkled with it; w^e, however, 
were not born then, and thus we are deprived of this 



138 The Shedding of Chris fs Blood Renewed in the Mass, 

great grace." Distress not thyself on this account, O 
Christian; the blood of Christ was then shed just as 
much for us as for the faithful of that day. Besides, of 
His divine wisdom Christ devised another means by 
virtue of which He daily sheds His precious blood, and 
applies it for the cleansing of our souls. Dost thou ask 
when and how this is done? I answer, Whenever Mass is 
celebrated, as shall now be explained. 

The first authority to be quoted is St. Augustine, who 
says: " The blood of Christ is shed for sinners in holy 
Mass." These words are so plain that they need no 
elucidation, and they are uttered by one so trustworthy 
that no one can gainsay his testimony. We will next listen 
to St. Chrysostom, who expresses himself thus: " The 
Lamb of God is immolated for thee. His blood flows 
mystically upon the altar; the blood contained in the 
chalice is drawn for thy cleansing from His sacred side." 
This passage has been expounded as follows: " Once for 
all Christ shed his blood in a visible and painful manner, 
but at this we could not be present. This shedding of 
blood is, however, repeated daily in an invisible manner: 
His hands are wounded. His feet are transfixed, His 
side is pierced, His blood is made to flow, but in a man- 
ner of which our senses cannot take cognizance. We 
can appropriate to ourselves His infinite merits by our 
glowing desire, by our contrition and sorrow, by holy 
communion, but above and beyond all by hearing Mass." 
These words deserve attentive consideration; they are 
those of a learned theologian, and he expressly tells us 
that by no means can we participate in the merits of 
Christ so surely as by assisting at Mass, adding these 
words: " In the Mass the priest by the prayer of conse- 
cration draws, as it were, the blood from the Saviour's 
side, in order to apply it to thee for thy cleansing, thy 
sanctification, the forgiveness of thy sins." Many other 



The Shedding of Chris fs Blood Renewed in the Mass. 1 39 

authorities might be cited in confirmation of this state- 
ment, but we will content ourselves with the testimony 
of the learned Father Natali, who says: "The same 
blood which flowed from the side of Christ is in the 
chalice after the words of consecration have been spoken, 
and it is shed for us for the remission of sins." 

The formula of consecration is, however, this: "This 
is the chalice of My blood, . . . which shall be shed for 
you and for many, to the remission of sins." These are 
Christ's own words, whereby He changed the wine into 
His precious blood. By His command the priest utters 
the same words; he does not, however, utter them as if 
he merely meant to proclaim from the altar what the 
words were which Christ made use of, but as asserting it 
to be true that the wine is changed into the blood of 
Christ, as is in fact the case. 

Now the priest does not content himself with saying: 
"This is the chalice of My blood"; he continues: "which 
shall be shed for you and for many, to the remission of 
sins." As the first part of the sentence is certainly 
fulfilled, with no less certainty will the latter part be ful- 
filled. Consequently the sacred blood of Christ is verily 
and indeed shed in the Mass " for you and for many"; 
that is, for you who are present, and for the many who are 
absent; for those who hear Mass and for those who 
would gladly do so if they could, and who therefore desire 
a memento in it. These are the " many " for whom 
Christ's blood is shed in holy Mass for the remission of 
sins. 

This proof is of greater force than any other, for the 
authority upon which it rests is none other than the truth 
which comes from the lips of God Himself. How sub- 
lime a mystery is this ! How unspeakable is the love of 
Christ to us poor sinners ! Is it really possible that our 
adorable Jesus, Who shed His blood to the last drop for 



l4o The Shedding of Chris fs Blood Renewed in the Mass. 

us, should shed it again and again for us, daily, hourly, 
for the remission of our sins and for our eternal salva- 
tion ? How great are the graces, the blessings they 
receive who assist at holy Mass ! " As oft as the blood 
of Christ is shed," says St. Ambrose, " it is shed for the 
remission of sins." What greater inducement can we 
have to hear Mass than the assurance that by doing so 
we can obtain remission of our sins ? We are not left in 
doubt as to whether the chalice really contains Christ's 
blood, for God has revealed this truth and made it evi- 
dent by numerous miracles, of which one will now be 
narrated. 

We read in the writings of Cesar of Heisterbach that 
about the year 1220 there lived in the archdiocese of 
Cologne a female recluse who had retired from the world 
and taken up her abode in a kind of cell built on to the 
wall of a church, where she led a life of contemplation and 
penance. This recluse had a special devotion for holy 
Mass, and a small window was constructed in the wall 
of her dwelling to enable her to assist at it. But the evil 
enemy, finding her on other points proof against his as- 
saults, contrived to instil into her mind a tormenting 
doubt as to the transubstantiation of the wine into the 
blood of Our Lord. This temptation was so strong that 
it quite overthrew her faith, and she even communicated 
her doubts to some women with whom she held inter- 
course through a window. But God had compassion on 
His servant and wrought a visible miracle to deliver her 
from error. One day, when the priest of a neighboring 
parish was saying Mass, through carelessness (or perhaps 
by the special permission of Providence) he overturned 
the chalice after the consecration. He was horror- 
struck, but still more so when he observed that the wine 
which was spilt had assumed the appearance and color 
of blood. At the conclusion of the Mass he tried in 



The Shedding of Chrisfs Blood Renewed in the Mass. 14I 

every way to wash the stain out of the corporal, but all 
was in vain. When the next Sunday came, he took the 
blood-stained corporal up into the pulpit, told the con- 
gregation what had occurred, and with tears held up the 
corporal to their view. This made a great impression 
upon the people, who were much touched at the sight of 
the Saviour's blood, and the conviction was borne in 
upon the priest that the miracle was intended to confirm 
the faith of those who were tempted to doubt. Accord- 
ingly he made it known far and wide; at length he went 
to the dwelling of the recluse of whom we have spoken, 
told her all that had happened, and exhibited the blood- 
stained corporal to her also. As soon as she saw the 
marks of the precious blood she fell to the ground, be- 
wailed her fault with bitter tears, and humbly begged the 
pardon of all who were present. She then made aloud a 
profession of faith, saying: "I steadfastly believe that 
in the consecrated chalice the true, natural blood of 
Christ is really present, the same that was shed for us 
upon the cross; and in this belief I hope to live and 
die." The priest returned home, and on again placing 
the corporal in water he found to his astonishment that 
the stains instantly disappeared. When the recluse 
heard this, she perceived that God in His mercy had 
worked this wonder for her good, and this conviction 
served to establish her still more firmly in faith. 

Something similar is told of Father Peter Cavagnelas, 
a monk of the Order of St. Jerome. For a long time he 
was a prey to terrible doubts as to whether the blood of 
Christ was present in the sacred host. One day when, 
in saying Mass, he came to these wprds of the canon: 
" We most humbly beseech Thee, Almighty God, com- 
mand these things to be carried by the hands of Thy holy 
angel to Thy altar on high, in the sight of Thy divine 
majesty," and, according to the rules of the rubric, 



142 The Shedding of Chris fs Blood Renewed in the Mass, 

bowed down profoundly, behold, a cloud descended 
upon the altar and concealed both the host and the 
chalice from his sight. The priest felt much alarmed, 
for he knew not what this thing meant. He made an 
act of sincere contrition and lifted up his heart in fer- 
vent prayer to God. After a time his petition was heard, 
the cloud lifted, and he saw the sacred host suspended 
over the chalice. While he gazed upon it with reverence, 
he perceived that blood was dropping from it; this con- 
tinued until there was exactly the same quantity as there 
had been wine in the chalice. Joy filled his heart; all 
his doubts vanished; thenceforth nothing ever obscured 
his firm faith in the presence of the blood of Christ in 
the sacred host. 

These two stories show that the body and blood of 
Christ are both present at the same time in each of the 
elements, although by virtue of the prayer of consecra- 
tion the body of Christ is principally under the form of 
bread in the sacred host, His body under the form of 
wine in the sacred chalice. Here we may pause, and 
endeavor to realize what an immense grace it is for us to 
possess the adorable blood of Christ in the Mass. The 
Catholic Church owns no greater, more costly treasure; 
for a single drop of this blood which is united to the 
person of the Divinity outweighs in value all the riches 
of heaven and of earth. This precious blood is not only 
present with us in the Mass, we have it for our very own 
(as was said in Ch. V.), and as our own we may offer it to 
Almighty God. 

THE MANNER IN WHICH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IS 
SPRINKLED UPON US IN HOLY MASS. 

Hitherto we have been inquiring in what way the pre- 
cious blood of Christ is shed in holy Mass; we will now 
see how it is sprinkled. For we know that as the precious 



The Shedding of Christ^ s Blood Renewed in the Mass, 143 

blood is really shed when Mass is celebrated, so it is 
likewise sprinkled upon all who are present, and poured 
out upon their souls. Of this we have a clear type in 
the Old Testament, to which St. Paul refers when he 
says how Moses sprinkled the blood of calves and goats 
upon all the people, saying: " This is the blood of the 
testament, which God hath enjoined unto you." (Heb. 
ix. 20.) The words Christ employed when He conse- 
crated the chalice at the Last Supper are almost identical: 
"This is the new testament in My blood." (St. Luke 
xxii. 20.) St. Paul adds, in the passage already quoted: 
" It is necessary, therefore, that the patterns of heavenly 
things should be cleansed with these: but the heavenly 
things themselves with better sacrifices than these." 
(Heb. ix. 23.) By this he meant to say: The Jewish syna- 
gogue, which was a type of the Catholic Church, was 
cleansed by the sprinkling of the blood of calves and 
goats, whereas the Catholic Church is cleansed by the 
blood of the Lamb of God. Now in order that anything 
be cleansed either with blood or with water it must be 
sprinkled or moistened with blood or water. Thus, if 
our souls are cleansed by the blood of Christ in the 
Mass, they must be sprinkled therewith, as we will now 
proceed to show. 

St. Chrysostom says: *^Thou seest that Christ is im- 
molated in the Mass, thou seest that the people present 
are sprinkled and marked with the crimson blood from 
His veins." In this passage this great doctor of the 
Church expressly asserts that in holy Mass the blood of 
Christ is not merely poured out for us, but poured out 
upon us. Marchantius says the same: "The precious 
blood is shed in the Mass as a holy oblation, and the 
souls of the faithful who stand around are sprinkled 
with it." It would be impossible to employ plainer lan- 
guage than this. St. John likewise speaks no less clearly: 



144 T^h^ Shedding of Chrisfs Blood Renewed in the Mass, 

" Jesus Christ hath loved us, and washed us from our 
sins in His own blood." (Apoc* i* 5.) Observe, the 
Apostle does not say that Christ sprinkles us with His 
blood, but that we are actually washed in it. 

St. Paul bears the like witness when he says: " You 
are come to Jesus the mediator of the New Testament, 
and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than 
that of Abel." (Heb. xii. 24.) Here it may be asked: 
When do we come to Jesus, our mediator? In holy 
communion we approach very near to Him, and receive 
Him into our hearts. But we do not come to Him as 
to our mediator then: we receive Him as our spiritual 
sustenance. It is in holy Mass that we come to Him as 
our true mediator and intercessor, for in this He is Him- 
self the real high priest, Whose office it is to make inter- 
cession for the people. Now if we come to Him in the 
Mass as to our mediator, at the same time we come, as 
St. Paul says, to the sprinkling of blood. This sprinkling 
takes place whenever Mass is celebrated; our bodies are 
not sprinkled, but our souls. In His passion the blood 
of Christ was shed, but it fell upon the stones and upon 
the ground. In holy Mass the self-same blood is 
shed; it does not, however, fall upon the earth, nor upon 
the bodies of men: it is applied to the souls of those who 
are present. Just as Moses sprinkled the Jews with the 
blood of the sacrificial victims, and the priest sprinkles 
Christian people with holy water, so Christ spiritually 
sprinkles the souls of the faithful with His blood, which 
is shed for them in the Mass. 

This spiritual sprinkling is far more beneficial to us 
than the material sprinkling. Hear what St. Magdalen 
of Pazzi says concerning it: ^* This blood, when applied to 
the soul, imparts to it as much dignity as if it were 
decked in a costly robe; it imparts to it such brilliance 
and splendor that couldst thou behold the effulgence of 



The Shedding of Christ'' s Blood Renewed in the Mass, 145 

thy soul when sprinkled with that blood thou wouldst 
fall down to adore it." Remarkable words indeed ! 
Happy the soul which is adorned with such beauty ! 
Happy the man who is privileged to gaze upon it ! Go 
often to Mass, dear reader, that thou mayst then be 
sprinkled with the blood of Christ and arrayed in rich 
apparel, which will render thee glorious forever in the 
sight of angels and saints. For the purpose of strength- 
ening thee in the belief that Christ's blood is applied to 
our souls in holy Mass I will relate an instance to the 
point. 

In the life of Pope Urban IV. we read that about the 
year 1263, in the town of Bolsena, near Rome, there was 
a priest to whom one day, while he was saying Mass, 
just after the consecration, the devil suggested doubts as 
to whether Our Lord was really present in the sacred host. 
He said within himself: " I neither see nor feel anything 
to make me think this is Christ's veritable body. It can- 
not be so; this is nothing more than it appears, a mere 
wafer-bread." Thus he did not only doubt Christ's pres- 
ence, he actually denied it, and fell into the sin of heresy. 
However, he proceeded with the Mass, and elevated the 
host as usual, and lo ! a wonderful miracle occurred. 
When the host was lifted up, blood began to trickle from 
it like a gentle shower from heaven. The priest was so 
terrified that he did not know what he did. The people 
who were present saw the miracle, and could not refrain 
from exclaiming aloud: "O sacred blood! O blood of 
our God ! For whose sake art thou shed?" and again: 
" O blood from the Saviour's veins, fall upon our souls, 
cleanse them from the stains of sin ! Precious blood, for- 
give us our sins, and call upon God for mercy ! " The 
voices of the congregation recalled the priest to himself; 
he thought to lay the sacred host upon the corporal, but 
it was soaked with blood to such an extent that there was 



1/^6 The Shedding of Chrisfs Blood Renewed in the Mass, 

scarcely a dry place left. Then tears burst from his eyes, 
and he bitterly repented his unbelief. He went on with 
the Mass, although hardly able to do so from weeping. 
After the communion he folded the blood-stained corpo- 
ral together and laid it aside, thinking to conceal the 
wonderful occurrence. But after Mass the people came 
to him and questioned him about what had happened, 
as they knew not whether their eyes had deceived them. 
So he was obliged to exhibit the corporal to them; and 
at the sight of it they were so deeply moved that they 
fell on their knees, struck their breasts, and with tears 
besought the mercy of God. The report of this spread 
far and wide; an innumerable multitude of devout peo- 
ple came to Bolsena, desirous to see the proof of the 
miracle. When Pope Urban IV. heard of it, he bade the 
priest present himself before him, bringing the corporal 
with him. The priest obeyed; trembling, he fell at the 
feet of the Pope and the cardinals and ecclesiastics who 
were present, confessed the doubts that had assailed him, 
related what had happened, and showed the corporal 
soaked with the precious blood. The Pope and the whole 
assembly forthwith venerated upon their knees the pre- 
cious blood, and later on a splendid church was erected 
at Bolsena in honor of the precious blood by order of 
His Holiness, who, furthermore, enjoined that the miracu- 
lous corporal should be deposited there, and every year, 
on the anniversary of the day when the miracle occurred, 
it should be solemnly carried in procession round the 
church. 

That which was seen at Bolsena six hundred years ago 
comes to pass every day in every one of our churches at 
every Mass, only in an unseen manner. When the priest, 
offering the highest act of worship, elevates the sacred 
host and the chalice, the blood of our God distils from 
them like a gentle rain from the clouds, bedewing not 



The Shedding of Christ'^ s Blood Renewed in the Mass. 147 

the earth, not the bodies of men, but the souls and minds 
of all who are present. Nor is its gracious influence con- 
fined to the good and pious: it is extended also to the 
evil. The souls of the just it purifies and embellishes; 
it makes them fruitful in good works, it strengthens 
them when they are weak, it subdues the force of tempta- 
tion, it effects in them all the good of which each one is 
capable. Those who are not devout Christians it seeks 
to convert, to soften their hard hearts, to correct their 
evil inclinations; while to all who are enemies of God it 
offers peace and reconciliation. And for the sinner who, 
in his obduracy, resists the proffered grace, the precious 
blood pleads with God for him and arrests the arm of 
justice. 

See how great are the benefits which accrue alike to 
the just and to the sinner through this life-giving blood ! 
Hence learn how profitable it is for both the one and the 
other to go regularly to Mass. For there the just will be 
cleansed from their sins, as St. John says: " The blood of 
Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin/' (i. St. 
John i. 7.) And for the sinner it obtains the grace of 
conversion. Consider, then, O thou who truly lovest God, 
how signal a grace is this, that in holy Mass thy soul 
should be sprinkled, purified, beautified, by the sacred 
blood of Christ, thy Saviour. Couldst thou see thyself 
thus adorned, thus beautified, how heartfelt would be 
thy joy, thy gratitude towards God ! How unremitting 
wouldst thou be in thy attendance at holy Mass ! 

THE MANNER IN WHICH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD 
INTERCEDES FOR US. 

Amongst the many gifts and graces wherein those par- 
ticipate who hear Mass devoutly one of the principal is 
this, that the blood of Christ, shed upon the altar, pleads 



1 48 The Shedding of Chrisfs Blood Renewed in the Mass, 

for us with God, and obtains mercy for us. How profita- 
ble, how salutary, for the sinner is this voice of impetra- 
tion, how powerful is it in averting the wrath of God ! 
All the grievous sins we commit cry to God for ven- 
geance, and excite His anger against us, as we learn from 
Holy Scripture. For in the Book of Genesis God says: 
** The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and 
their sin is become exceedingly grievous. I will go down 
and see whether they have done according to the cry that 
is come to me." (Gen. xviii. 20, 21.) Again, St. James 
says : " Behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped 
down your fields, which by fraud hath been kept back 
by you, crieth; and the cry of them hath entered into 
the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth." (James v. 4.) The 
prophet Isaias represents God as denominating all sins of 
whatever nature as a cry. Hence we perceive that our 
sins, as a great clamor, ascend continually to God, and 
challenge Him to manifest His just wrath against the 
world. 

Who, then, is there who can allay the anger of God, who 
can turn aside His awful vengeance ? There is no one 
in heaven or on earth who can do this ; only when the 
blood of Jesus Christ speaks it is all-availing. For al- 
though the cry sent up by innumerable sins is so loud 
that it is heard in the height of heaven, yet the voice of 
the blood of Christ is still more powerful; it is almighty 
and infinite, it does not merely pierce the clouds, it 
reaches the heart of God the Father. And how greatly 
soever the frightful and horrible clamor of a world's sins 
and iniquities may anger and irritate the heart of God, 
the blood shed by Jesus Christ speaks in accents so sweet 
and pleasing that He forgets His wrath, for the pleasure 
He derives from the voice of Christ outweighs the dis- 
pleasure caused by the clamor of sin. 

The reader may perhaps ask: How can it be said 



The Shedding of Chrisfs Blood Renewed m the Mass. 149 

that this sacred blood cries to Heaven, as one hears 
nothing of it? In answer I ask: How could the blood 
shed by Abel cry to Heaven, as Abel was dead, and his 
blood flowed out of the wounds he had received ? Yet 
we know God said to Cain: " The voice of thy brother's 
blood crieth to Me from the earth." (Gen. iv. 10.) This 
was no audible voice, yet it was so powerful that it rose 
from earth to heaven, it entered into the ears of God 
the Father, and called upon Him to avenge the fratri- 
cide. The voice of the blood shed by Jesus Christ in 
holy Mass is likewise mystic, yet it, too, is so powerful 
that it compels an angry God to show mercy. We know 
that this sacred blood cries to God in holy Mass from 
the words of St. Paul to the Hebrews: "You are come 
to Jesus the mediator of the New Testament, and to the 
sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of 
Abel." (Heb. xii. 24.) This passage implies that if we 
come to Jesus, sprinkled with blood, it cries to God for 
mercy upon sinners with a voice that will take no de- 
nial. 

This precious blood, shed in the Mass, calls upon God 
with a loud, penetrating voice after this wise: " Behold 
and consider, O just God, how I, the precious blood of 
Thy first-born Son, have been shed, copiously and will- 
ingly, amid circumstances of pain and ignominy. Behold 
and consider the violence, the scorn, the cruelty, shown 
me; how I have been despised, spit upon, anathematized, 
trodden under foot. All this I endured with the utmost 
patience, that by my means sinners might be sanctified 
and saved. But Thou, O strict Judge, wilt condemn 
them on account of their sins, and cast them into the 
abyss of hell. Who will compensate me for the indig- 
nities I suffered ? The sinners who are condemned w^ill 
in their devilish hate heap maledictions upon me. If 
they were saved, they would bless and give thanks to me 



1 50 The Shedding of Chris fs Blood Renewed in the Mass, 

for all eternity. Hear my cry, therefore, O merciful 
God, and for my sake grant to sinners the grace of con- 
version and amendment, to the just the grace of final 
perseverance." 

When the precious blood of Christ intercedes for us in 
this manner, it is impossible that God should turn a deaf 
ear to such an entreaty. For if the blood of innocent 
Abel cried from the ground with so loud a voice that it 
was heard in heaven, and God Himself was compelled to 
look down from heaven upon the earth, and avenge the 
fratricidal act, as we are told: " The voice of thy 
brother's blood crieth to Me from the earth. Now, there- 
fore, cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath 
opened her mouth and received the blood of thy brother 
at thy hand" (Gen. iv. lo, 11.) — if, I say, Abel's 
blood when shed availed so much, what will not the 
power of Christ's blood be, shed as it is daily upon our 
altars, and offered up to God ! Abel's blood cried for 
vengeance; the blood of Christ cries for mercy. Now 
we know that God is far more inclined to show mercy 
than to do vengeance; as the Church says in one of her 
prayers: "O God, Whose property is ever to have mercy 
and to spare." St. Peter repeats the same in one of his 
epistles: " The Lord is not willing that any should per- 
ish, but that all should return to penance." (11. St. Pet. 
iii. 9.) Thus the blood of Christ obtains mercy with 
greater ease than Abel's blood, obtains vengeance. 

In the circumcision, the sweat of blood, the scourg- 
ing, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, 
and the crucifixion the blood of the divine Saviour 
cried to Heaven for the reconciliation of mankind with 
God. It did not cry in vain; witness the words of St. 
Paul: *^ God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world 
to Himself." (11. Cor. v. 9.) The sam^e divine blood 
cries to God every day in holy Mass^ not with one voice 



The Sheddi7ig of CJu'isfs Blood Renewed, 151 

only, but with as many as He shed drops from His sacred 
body. It calls with a powerful, far-reaching voice; it 
cries with all the force of His divinity and His human- 
ity; and this not in one Mass alone, but in every one of 
the thousands that are daily celebrated. And with it at 
the same time the wounds of Christ cry with as many 
tongues as there were wounds on His body; the heart of 
Christ cries, its every throb an entreaty; the lips of Christ 
cry, their every sigh a prayer. Can we suppose it pos- 
sible that a cry so manifold should fail to touch the heari- 
of the Eternal Father ? Even had it been already deter- 
mined that the sinner should receive the just reward of 
his deeds, so powerful, so adorable, is the blood of Christ 
that divine justice cannot refuse to fulfil its request. 

In corroboration of what has been said I will relate a 
remarkable occurrence. In former times, in the arch- 
diocese of Mayence, there was a small town called Wall- 
diirn. Now it happened in the year 1330 that the par- 
ish priest of that place was so careless as to overturn the 
chalice after the consecration, so that the sacred blood 
was poured out upon the corporal. Immediately there 
appeared upon the corporal the image of Christ crucified, 
and around it eleven representations of the head of the 
Saviour, with the crown of thorns and disfigured with 
blood. In his confusion and alarm the priest concealed 
the corporal under the altar-stone, fearing the chastise- 
ment of God and the reprimand of his ecclesiastical su- 
periors. But his conscience left him no peace, and he 
took the matter so much to heart that he fell into a 
mortal sickness. In his last agony, which was long and 
painful, he sent for a neighboring priest, confessed his 
carelessness in overturning the chalice, and told him 
where the corporal was hidden. He also gave him per- 
mission to make the miraculous occurrence public. After 
his death, which took place within a short time, the priest 



152 The Shedding of Chrisfs Blood Renewed, 

took out the corporal, kissed it reverently, and exhibited 
it to the people, giving, at the same time, a full account 
of the incident. Sometime later he took the corporal to 
his bishop; he sent him to Rome, where Pope Urban V., 
who then occupied the chair of Peter, confirmed the 
miracle, and granted an indulgence to the faithful who 
should visit Walldiirn to venerate the sacred blood. 

Here the question arises why the precious blood that 
was spilt should assume the shape of a crucifix and 
eleven representations of the head of the Saviour. In 
my opinion, amongst other reasons this one is to be 
noted, because the blood thus spilt calls to God for mercy. 
The number eleven probably corresponds to the number 
of drops that fell out of the chalice. These drops cried 
and called to God not for vengeance and chastisement, 
but for mercy and pardon, both for the priest himself, 
and for all those who should venerate the sacred blood. 
It implored and obtained for the priest the grace to re- 
pent and confess his fault before his death, and for the 
people it continues to implore a similar grace, since ex- 
perience proved that hardened sinners, who for long years 
had neglected confession, in presence of the sacred 
blood were struck with contrition and humbly confessed 
their sins. 

In addition to the all-prevailing cry which the blood 
of Christ sends up to Heaven, there is somethingelse pecu- 
liar to it, whereby the anger of God is appeased, namely, 
the sweet odor which ascends from that blood when it is 
shed upon the altar. Referring to the Jewish burnt-sacri- 
fices, God says: " The morning holocaust you shall always 
offer every day of the seven days for the food of the 
fire, and for a most sweet odor to the Lord, which shall 
rise from the holocaust, and from the libations of each." 
(Numbers xxviii. 23, 24.) Now if the odor arising from 
the burnt flesh of animals and the effusion of their blood 



The Shedding of Chrisfs Blood Renewed, 153 

was agreeable to Almighty God, what will not the most 
sweet odor of Christ's precious blood effect, when offered 
upon the altar as a holocaust worthy of His divine majesty! 

When the priest offers the chalice, he says: " We offer 
unto Thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation, beseeching 
Thy clemency, that in the sight of Thy divine majesty 
it may ascend with the odor of sweetness for our salva- 
tion, and for that of the whole world. Amen." The 
priest makes use of these words because the wine con- 
tained in the chalice will be changed into the precious 
blood of Christ. St. Paul says: "Christ hath loved us, 
and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation, and a 
sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness." (Eph. v. 
2.) When this precious holocaust was offered upon the 
cross, with shedding of blood, at the cost of great pain, 
so delicious was the fragrance that ascended to heaven 
that it counteracted the evil odor that arose from the 
many and grievous sins of mankind. For the death of 
Christ, the shedding of His blood, was more pleasing to 
God than the iniquities of the world were displeasing to 
Him. And when this divine Victim is sacrificed and 
His blood shed mystically upon our altars, a sweet and 
agreeable odor daily ascends thence unto the Lord. 
Thus, if with a contrite heart thou dost offer the precious 
blood of Christ to God in holy Mass, not only dost thou 
dispel the stench of thy sins by the perfume of His 
blood, but thou dost more to please God than thou hast 
done to displease Him by thy misdeeds. 

When the patriarch Isaac, whose eyes were dimmed 
with age, had kissed his son Jacob, dressed in the gar- 
ments of his brother Esau, Holy Scripture tells us that 
on smelling the fragrant smell of his garments he 
blessed him, and desired for him every kind of temporal 
prosperity. The most sweet odor of Christ's blood has 
^ like effect; so that God looks with favor upon thq 



154 Holy Mass is the Most Excellent BMrnt-Offering. 

pious worshipper who offers it to Him in holy Mass, and 
bestows upon him His divine benediction, with an in- 
crease of grace and of celestial gifts. All the saints, too, 
rejoice when Mass is celebrated, when the perfume of 
the sacred blood rises in clouds of fragrance from the 
altar, filling the courts of heaven, to the joy and refresh- 
ment of all its blessed denizens. Let it, therefore, be our 
endeavor when present at Mass to adore the precious 
blood with devout veneration, to implore its intercession, 
to offer it to God for our salvation. 



CHAPTER XL 

HOLY MASS IS THE MOST EXCELLENT BURNT- 
OFFERING. 

T TNDER the Old Law there were four principal kinds 
of sacrifices : (i) The burnt-offering, in recognition 
of the supreme majesty of God ; (2) the offering of 
praise and thanksgiving, in acknowledgment of the 
benefits received from God ; (3) the peace-offering, or 
propitiatory sacrifice, to propitiate the divine favor ; (4) 
the sin-offering, or expiatory sacrifice, to obtain forgive- 
ness of sin and remission of the penalty of sin. Each 
one of these sacrifices had its own special ceremonial, and 
it was not permissible to offer sacrifices of a different 
nature in one and the self-same manner. 

From the commencement of the world until the coming 
of Christ innumerable victims were offered to God 
Aln)ighty, which from the testimony of Holy Scripture we 
know tQ have been acceptable to Him. According to the 
Mosaic law, the Jews were commanded to immolate daily 
two lambs of a year old as a burnt- offering, one in the 



Holy Mass is the Most Excellent Burfit-Offcrmg, 155 

morning, and one in the evening; on the Sabbath Day 
two were to be offered both morning and evening. At 
every new moon seven lambs, two calves, and one ram 
were prescribed for the burnt-offering, and the same 
number at Easter and Pentecost during seven consecu- 
tive days. At the feast of Tabernacles for a whole 
week fourteen lambs, thirteen calves, two rams, and one 
goat were to be offered. In addition to these costly 
sacrifices each individual brought an oblation on his own 
account, such as oxen, calves, sheep, lambs, rams, doves, 
wine, bread, incense, etc., to be offered according to one 
of the four ways above mentioned. 

All this is stated here in order that those who read 
this book may know what costly and burdensome sacri- 
fices it was obligatory upon the ancient patriarchs and 
Jewish priests in olden times to offer. Yet, notwithstand- 
ing the expense and trouble attaching to those sacrifices, 
they gave but little glory to God, and obtained no great 
reward for the persons who offered them. If, in spite of 
this. Holy Scripture tells us that these offerings were a 
sweet odor before God, the reason is this, because they 
were typical of the sacrifice of Christ. Hence we may 
learn how far happier we Catholics are than were the 
Jews of old, since Jesus, of His infinite goodness, has 
appointed for us a burnt-offering, the offering of which is 
attended with no difficulty, a sacrifice which of all others 
is most acceptable in God*s sight, which is a source of 
the greatest joy in heaven, the greatest profit to mankind, 
the greatest solace to the souls in purgatory. 

If it were possible for any one person, with his own 
hand and with profound devotion, to have immolated and 
offered to God as a burnt-offering all the victims which 
have been sacrificed since the beginning of the world 
until the coming of Christ, that individual would doubt- 
less have paid much honor to God, and caused Him much 



156 Holy Mass is the Most Excellent Burnt-Offering. 

satisfaction. But the service rendered and the satisfac- 
tion occasioned would be in nowise comparable with the 
glory, the felicity, derived by the divine majesty from 
one single Mass. How can that be possible, O my God ? 
This we shall understand when we hear what manner of 
burnt-offering the Catholic Church has in holy Mass. 

The Christian burnt-offering is a visible, material obla- 
tion, which is offered to God only by a duly qualified 
minister, as an acknowledgment of His supreme dominion 
over all creatures. St. Thomas says: '' By this burnt- 
offering we testify that God is the primary source of all 
creation, the final end of all our felicity, the sovereign 
ruler of all things. Whom we adore, and to Whom, in 
evidence of our just subjection, we offer a visible victim, 
worthy of His august majesty." These words explain 
briefly what a burnt-offering essentially is; this will be 
made plainer by what follows. 

The burnt offering is, by God's ordinance, reserved for 
Him alone, for He says by the lips of Isaias: " I the 
Lord, this is My name; I will not give My glory to 
another." (Is. xlii. 8.) Hence may be gathered the 
singular excellence of the burnt-offering, since it may be 
offered to no creature, not even to the Mother of God, or 
to any saint, without idolatry; to God alone may it be 
offered. God permits us to praise, to love, to honor, to 
invoke, His saints, but He has never given us permission 
to offer to them our sacrifice, the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass. The Council of Trent, speaking on this subject, 
says: "Although the Church has been accustomed at 
times to celebrate certain Masses in honor and memory 
of the saints, not, therefore, however doth she teach that 
sacrifice is offered unto them, but unto God alone, WHio 
crowned them; whence neither is the priest wont to 
say: *I offer sacrifice to thee, Peter, or Paul'; but, 
giving thanks to God for their victories, h§ implores their 



Holy Mass is the Most ExceUeni Burnt- Offering, 1 57 

■patronage, that they may vouchsafe to intercede for us in 
heaven whose memory we celebrate upon earth." (Session 
xxii. ch. ,3.) Thus the Church teaches us that the Mass 
cannot be offered to any saint, but that it may be offered 
to God for the greater glory of the saints. 

We will now speak of the nature and character of the 
burnt-sacrifice in order that its excellence may be better 
understood. According to the Jewish ritual, in the 
burnt-offering all the flesh of the victim was consumed 
by fire, whereas in other sacrifices only a portion was 
burnt, the remainder being eaten by the priests and 
those who offered the oblation. The reason why the 
whole of the victim was consumed in the burnt-offering 
was to show that all things belonged to God, and must 
be offered in His service. In strict justice God has 
a right to demand the life of every man as He com- 
manded Abraham to slay and sacrifice his son Isaac. He 
was, however, content with Abraham's prompt obedience. 
In the law of Moses He commanded every first-born 
child to be sanctified to Him, saying: "They are all 
Mine." (Ex. xiii. 2.) He did not go so far as to require 
them to be immolated; it sufficed that the mother should 
present her child in the temple, and ransom it with 
money. 

The only-begotten Son of God was accordingly pre- 
sented by Mary, His Mother; and although she offered 
the customary oblation for Him, with this God was not 
satisfied: she had to offer Him again, to be tortured 
and put to death, in order that by His precious death all 
men might be released from the obligation of giving 
their life as a sacrifice to God. Concerning this St. Paul 
says : " If one died for all, then all were dead, and 
Christ died for all." (11. Cor. v. 14, 15.) For the life of 
Christ was far nobler than that of all men living; con- 
sequently His death was of more value in the sight of 



158 Holy Mass is the Most Excellent Burnt-Offertng, 

God than the death of all mankind. And since Christ is 
thus offered up to God in every Mass that is celebrated, 
more glory is given to God, a greater act of worship is 
performed in one Mass than if every dweller upon earth 
laid down his life in honor of Him. 

Gervase declares the holy sacrifice of the Mass to be 
of all acts of piety and devotion the noblest and the 
best. Why is this? Because in it we testify, not by 
word so much as by deed, that God has every right to 
demand from us the sacrifice of our life. Thus under 
the Old Dispensation the Jewish priest, at the time of 
sacrifice, was accustomed to say: *^ As I immolate this 
animal to the glory of God, so God, the supreme Lord, 
could, should He sa will, destroy us all, one with an- 
other. Thus, when I slay this victim, it is to signify 
that it would only be His due were we to sacrifice our 
lives to His glory, and therefore I offer Him the life of 
this animal in the place of our own." 

In like manner Sanchez observes: " The homage we 
pay to God, the glory we give Him in holy Mass, is so 
great that no greater service, no greater honor, could be 
shown Him upon earth. For thereby we testify that in 
His sovereign majesty He is worthy that not the blood 
of calves and goats, but the most precious blood of His 
first-born Son, should be offered to Him in sacrifice.*' 

Meditate upon what these two learned men say re- 
specting the value of holy Mass, and the infinite 
honor it enables us to pay to God Almighty. Ought we 
not to hasten with joy to Mass in order to unite with 
the priest in performing this highest act of homage to 
Him Who is our rightful God and Lord ? For by neg- 
lecting to hear Mass for any frivolous reason we de- 
fraud Him of the honor we could, and ought to, have 
shown Him. 

Hear, too, what Marchantius says: "What is holy 



Holy Mass is the Most Excellent Burnt -Offering. 1 59 

Mass but an embassy sent daily to the ever-blessed 
Trinity with a gift of priceless value, which we present to 
the three divine Persons in recognition of their dominion 
over all creatures, and of our dependence upon them ? 
The life and death of Jesus Christ is a daily tribute 
paid to God, the Author of life and death, by the Church 
militant in cooperation with, and in presence of, the 
Church triumphant, in order that to Him, the Triune 
God, the highest honor may be paid by all His creatures, 
and that His might, His wisdom, His love, His endless 
perfections, shining forth in this mystery, may be duly 
honored by all. What can be more pleasing to the most 
high God than when heaven and earth unite to laud and 
magnify His wondrous power and majesty ? " 

This explanation of the true burnt-offering is so neces- 
sary that it ought to be taught to the people, and im- 
pressed upon them continually. Heaven and earth do 
indeed meet together in order to give to God, in holy 
Mass, praise and th^anks worthy of Him. The holy 
angels carry our oblation on high, and present it before 
God. 

But the chief honor which is given to God by the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass comes not from men nor from 
angels, but from Christ Himself. He alone can esti- 
mate aright the infinite greatness and grandeur of the 
divine majesty. He alone knows how infinite is the 
glory due to it. Therefore He alone, and none other, 
can pay to God honor worthy of His sovereign majesty, 
and this He does in every Mass that is celebrated. Al- 
though both angels and men can do much for the glory 
of God, it is as nothing in comparison with what Christ 
does. 

Supposing the Turks were to conquer our country, 
and threaten us; that, if we did not deny Christ, we 
should all be barbarously tortured and finally burnt 



l6o Holy Mass is the Most Excellent Bur7it-0ffering, 

alive. And supposing we all answered unanimously that 
we would rather suffer anything than be faithless to Our 
Lord, and submitted in a body to torture and death, 
would not this heroic deed be most pleasing to God, 
would it not tend vastly to His greater glory ? Doubt- 
less it would. And yet this glory would be trifling and 
insignificant in comparison with the glory which is due 
to the divine majesty. But when the first-born Son of 
God abases Himself to the dust before the Most Holy 
Trinity, when He makes Himself a worm and no man, 
and in this state of humiliation offers to God the highest 
reverence, the glory rendered to the Most Holy Trinity 
cannot be surpassed. 

Meanwhile the Son of God gives Himself into the 
power of man, to be by him immolated as an innocent 
lamb in a mystical manner, and offered to the triune 
God as a true burnt-offering, thereby making it possible 
for us to perform an act of homage and of praise worthy 
of the Divine Majesty to Whom it is offered. Hence it 
follows that in this sacrifice alone have we the means of 
rendering such service, such glory, to God Almighty as 
will be worthy of His sovereign dignity, and therefore 
well-pleasing in His sight. Had not Christ placed it 
within our power to offer this noblest of sacrifices, we should 
ever have remained debtors to God, and should have de- 
parted out of this world laden with guilt. What greater 
benefit could Jesus have bestowed on us, what greater 
love could He have shown us, than He did by instituting 
this superexcellent sacrifice ? Do we not owe Him 
hearty thanks, and ought we not to avail ourselves of 
this means of obtaining the remission of our many and 
heavy debts ? Let us endeavor to spare time from our 
other occupations to hear Mass frequently, and offer to 
God this most acceptable burnt-offering in payment of 
the debt we owe Him. 



Holy Mass is the Most Sublhne Sacrifice of Praise, i6l 



CHAPTER XII. 

HOLY MASS IS THE MOST SUBLIME SACRIFICE OF 

PRAISE. 

'X'HE nature of God is so infinite and incomprehensi- 
ble that no created intelligence is capable of grasp- 
ing it and describing it. His sanctity is unfathomable, 
His glory is immeasurable, His riches are beyond com- 
pare. He is in Himself strictest justice, gentlest mercy, 
superabundant loving-kindness, the most attractive 
beauty. Although the angels and saints love Him with 
their whole heart, yet they tremble before His awful 
majesty, and worship Him prostrate upon their faces 
in lowly adoration. With all their powers they laud, 
magnify, and bless His infinite perfections; nor do they 
ever weary of His praise. This praise God demands 
from them; it belongs to Him as their sovereign Lord, 
and is justly due to His endless sanctity. 

From all eternity, before anything was made, God 
magnified Himself, and the three divine Persons re- 
joiced in their majesty and grandeur. God the Father 
magnified the unsearchable wisdom of His Son; God 
the Son magnified the bounteous goodness of the Holy 
Ghost, and God the Holy Ghost magnified the infinite 
power of the Eternal Father. This is shown in the rev- 
elations of St. Mechtilde, to whom Christ said: " If thou 
desirest to honor Me, praise and magnify Me in union 
with that most excellent glory wherewith the Father in 
His almighty power and the Holy Spirit in His loving- 
kindness have glorified Me from all eternity; in union 
with that supreme glory wherewith I in My unsearch- 



1 62 Holy Mass is the Most Sublime Sacrifice of FraiyS^ 

able wisdom have glorified the Father and the Holy 
Spirit from all eternity, and wherewith the Holy Spirit, 
in His ineffable goodness, has magnified the Father and 
Me from all eternity." 

Urged by His infinite bounty and love, God created 
heaven and earth, angels and men, creatures animate 
and inanimate, in order that they might praise and 
glorify Him as was His due, and as much as in them 
lay. That such was His original intention we learn from 
Holy Scripture, which says: " The Lord hath made 
all things Jor Himself" (Prov. xvi. 4); that is to say^ 
in order to be known, praised, and glorified by His 
creatures. This the angels did from the first moment 
of their creation, this they do now, and will do to all 
eternity. The irrational creatures also, wild beasts and 
tame animals, trees and plants, minerals and stones, each 
in its own way and according to its capacity, contribute 
to enhance the glory of the Creator, to Whom they owe 
their being. This may be proved by the words Christ 
addressed to St. Mechtilde: " When the priest says in the 
Mass : * Through Whom the angels praise Thy majesty/ 
do thou join thy voice to theirs in that celestial hymn of 
praise whereby the ever-blessed Trinity magnifies itself 
and is magnified, and wherein the Blessed Virgin Mary 
and all the angels and saints do participate. Wherefore 
say a Pater, and offer it to Me in union with that hymn 
of praise with which heaven and earth and all created 
things glorify Me." 

Now if all irrational creatures praise their Creator, 
how much the more is it incumbent upon man to extol 
and magnify Him, since to this end he was created and 
endowed with reason. Under the Old Dispensation 
David felt this obligation; the psalms and prayers he 
composed consist of little else than the praises of God, 
and of motives whereby he incites himself to magnify His 



Holy Mass is the Most Sublime Sacrifice of Praise. 163 

holy name. If the Jews were so assiduous in praising 
God, much more is it the bounden duty of Christians to 
do the same, since it is for this that we are made the 
children of God, as St. Paul distinctly tells us : "Who 
hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children . . . 
unto the praise of the glory of His grace." (Eph. i. 5, 6.) 
That is to say, God has adopted us Christians as His 
children in order that we may laud and magnify His 
greatness and His grace. This is the chief duty of all 
mankind, and he who neglects it sins grievously 
against God. But who can fulfil this duty aright, since 
the majesty of God is infinite and incomprehensible, 
above and beyond the praise of both angels and men ? 

Seeing that our poor human powers were incapable 
of giving to God the glory due to Him, our blessed 
Lord, at the Last Supper, instituted the holy Mass, 
which is an eucharistic sacrifice, and as such is offered 
to God by the Church daily and hourly, by day and by 
night. In the Mass the celebrant says. ** We offer to 
Thee, O God, a sacrifice of praise.*' Previously to that 
he utters this song of praise: " Glory be to God on 
high; we praise Thee, we bless Thee, we adore Thee, we 
glorify Thee," etc. In the preface he says: " Holy, holy, 
holy, Lord God of Sabaoth ; heaven and earth are full of 
Thy glory; hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He that 
cometh in the name of the Lord ; hosanna in the high- 
est." What a glorious hymn of praise is this ! The ser- 
aphim in heaven sang the Sanctus^ Sanctjis^ Sanctus; the 
little Hebrew children on earth were inspired to sing the 
Hosanna in excelsis. Thus these words of praise resound 
partly from heaven, partly from earth; the Church, 
moreover, repeats them thousands of times every day in 
the Mass, thus praising the Lord our God by the mouth 
of His priests. 

St. Laurence Justinian expresses this well when he 



164 Holy Mass is the Most Sublime Sacrifice of Pratsii 

says: " It is certain that nothing gives God greater 
glory than the spotless victim of the altar, which Christ 
ordained to be sacrificed in order that His Church 
might offer praise to God." In these words the saint 
implies that we can magnify God in no better way than 
by celebrating or assisting at holy Mass. Molina ex- 
plains how this is. *' In holy Mass," he says, " the first- 
born Son of God is offered up to the Father, with all the 
praises and glory which He rendered Him on earth." 
Thus the praise God receives is infinite, for it is the 
praise His divine Son offers to Him. From our altars 
Christ praises God in a manner really worthy of the 
divine majesty, and this neither angels nor saints, much 
less men, are capable of doing. Hence it follows that 
the praise rendered to God in one Mass far exceeds that 
which He receives from the angels and the redeemed in 
heaven. 

St. Irenseus tells us of a maiden who desired most 
earnestly to praise God wuth all her powers. Many were 
the sighs she breathed forth to Heaven, exclaiming: 
*' Would that I had a thousand tongues wherewith to 
praise Thee, O my God ! Would that I had the hearts 
of all men in my power that I might incite them to Thy 
praise ! Fain would I give understanding and affections 
to all irrational and inanimate creatures, and engage them 
to praise Thee incessantly ! Were it possible for me to 
create new heavens, and fill them with seraphim, I would 
strain every nerve to accomplish this. Happy indeed 
should I be were I endowed with such powers of soul 
and body as would enable me to adore, praise, honor, and 
magnify Thee more than all the choirs of angels, the 
company of the blessed ! " Such were the fervent desires 
that filled this loving soul, and over flowedin ardent 
aspirations. One day, when inflamed more hotly than 
usual with the flames of this holy fire, she heard a celes- 



Holy Mass is the Most Sublime Sacrifice of Praise. 165 

tial voice speaking to her. " Hail, beloved daughter ! '* 
it said; "know that I derive more praise from one Mass 
than all you could give Me were your wishes accomplished. 
Go diligently to Mass, and offer to Me that sacrifice of 
praise, and you will thereby praise and magnify Me to 
the utmost of your desire/* 

Hence learn, O Christian, what a sublime sacrifice 
holy Mass must be, since thereby greater glory is given 
to the most high God than by the adoration of all the 
heavenly host. If all the powers of heaven were to unite 
to form a solemn procession in honor of the Holy Trinity, 
at the head of which would be the Mother of God, the 
chief of all creatures, surrounded by the nine choirs of 
angels, followed by innumerable companies of the saints 
and blessed, singing with the sweetest voices, playing on 
the most melodious instruments, this triumphant proces- 
sion would doubtless be to the praise and glory of God, 
and would be pleasing in His sight. But if at the close 
of the procession the Church militant were to commis- 
sion one single priest to say one Mass in honor of the 
ever-blessed Trinity, this one priest, with his one Mass, 
would offer an incomparably higher tribute of praise than 
that grand procession had done. Nay, it would be as far 
superior in glory and sublimity as the Son of God is 
exalted above all created beings. 

This being so, we perceive how much we ought to love 
and honor Christ for having given us in holy Mass a 
means at once simple and sublime of honoring and mag- 
nifying the Divine Majesty in a manner commensurate 
with His great dignity. This consideration ought to 
awaken in us a keen desire to hear Mass frequently, and 
acquit ourselves satisfactorily of the duty and obligation 
to praise God. That it is our bounden duty to praise 
Him has already been shown in the commencement of 
this chapter. It \yas there stated^ besides^ that to fulfil 



1 66 Holy Mass is the Most Subliine Sacrifice of Praise, 

this obligation aright it was necessary to comprehend 
the divine nature in all its dignity and vastness; and of 
this no created beings, not even the angels, are capable. 
Only the sacred humanity of Christ understands perfectly, 
by reason of the hypostatic union, how infinitely great 
the Godhead is, how infinitely worthy of praise. Ac- 
cordingly the humanity of Christ lauds and magnifies the 
Godhead everywhere, but more especially on our altars 
during Mass. There only is God praised in a fitting and 
worthy manner, because Christ is there present in His 
humanity, and there He offers the most costly sacrifice of 
praise to the glory of God the Father. Now mark this 
well: Christ offers the tribute of praise which He pays 
to the Godhead on the altar principally in the name of 
those who are present, supplying what is wanting to their 
praise. Nay, more. He gives it to them, to be offered to 
God as their own, that they may thus defray the debt 
they owe Him. He who thus offers to God the sacrifice 
of His divine Son does more to praise Him than all the 
angels and saints are in a position to do; for their praise 
is finite and imperfect, whereas he who hears Mass 
with this object offers to Him praise which is both in- 
finite and divine. 

In support of this assertion we will hear what certain 
pious and learned men say on this subject. Father John 
Angelo, a priest of great enlightenment, speaking of holy 
Mass, says: "When I meditate upon the mysteries of 
the Mass, it appears to me that the praise, glory, and joy 
accruing to God the Father by the mystical sacrifice of 
His Son is so superexcellent that the praise of all the 
choirs of angels and the company of the saints bears no 
comparison to it. For the works of creatures, however 
noble and excellent, contribute nothing to the work of 
the Creator. Although the angels and saints serve God 
in an admirable manner, and worthily sing His praise, 



Holy Mass is the Most Sttblime Sacrifice of Praise, 167 

yet of what value is what they do compared with the 
glory accruing to the ever>blessed Trinity from holy Mass ? 
For since the priest and the people offer to the Eternal 
Father the Incarnate Word and His tribute of praise, 
their oblation is that of a God, and the praise, honor, 
and thanksgiving is infinite." 

These noteworthy words serve to corroborate what has 
already been said, that God is more praised by the sacred 
humanity in holy Mass than by all created things in 
heaven and earth. That the hosts of heaven join in 
praising God at holy Mass we may gather from the 
legend which records that Satan, having entered into a 
woman, and being exorcised, was asked what was the 
power possessed by a priest. ^* Great, indeed," he an- 
swered, ^' are the dignity and power of a priest, for when 
he changes the substance of the bread and wine upon the 
altar the heavens are opened, and all the celestial court 
descends to earth." The truth of the foregoing assertion 
is attested by the revelations of St. Bridget, which have 
been formally approved by the Church. The saint says: 
" One day when I was hearing Mass, when the priest came 
to the consecration, it appeared to me as if sun and moon, 
the stars and planets, all the orbs of heaven in their 
course, chanted a sweet harmony. To these were added 
multitudes of celestial singers, whose entrancing notes our 
ears could not catch, much less our tongues frame. The 
choirs of angels gazed at the priest, and bowed low 
before him in reverence. The devils on the other hand 
shuddered, and fled in dismay. As soon as the words of 
consecration were spoken the bread was changed into a 
living lamb that had a human face. All the angels, of 
whom there were as many as there are motes in a sun- 
beam, worshipped and adored it. A great number of 
holy souls were also present^ who joined in praising Go(J 
and adoring the Lamb/' 



1 68 Holy Mass is the Most Sublime Sacrifice of Praise, 

This remarkable vision tells us how numerous a com- 
pany of heavenly spirits are present at Mass, and how 
rapturous the song of praise they sing to Almighty God, 
a song in which the material orbs of heaven join. In the 
midst of angels and saints thou dost stand, O devout 
Christian, when thou hearest Mass; thou dost join with 
them in praising thy God. Think how greatly He must 
be honored and glorified by holy Mass. Theologians 
tell us that it is a sacrifice so royal, so pleasing to God, 
that all the virtues and good works, the praise, the 
honor, the adoration, of angels and men, fall far short of 
it in value. For since Christ is both victim and priest, 
no one can deny that the exalted nature of the sacrificed 
and the sacrificer renders the oblation of praise and glory 
infinitely superior to that which any and every created 
being can offer. 

Hence it is clearly seen how transcendent is the praise, 
the love, the thanksgiving, offered to the Holy Trinity in 
every Mass, and how amply the debt we owe to the 
Divine Majesty — a debt we ought to, but do not, pay — 
is defrayed for us; nay, more, reparation is made for the 
blasphemies and insults daily uttered against God. 
Were it not for this, a world could no longer subsist in 
which Almighty God is daily a thousand times blas- 
phemed. We know how terribly these insults offend 
Him, for He says in the prophecies of Isaias: " Now 
what have I here ? . . . My name is continually blas- 
phemed all day long." (Is. Hi. 5). How can I remain 
any longer in a world where I am incessantly outraged, 
blasphemed, reviled ? I will therefore withdraw My pres- 
ence, and deliver the world over to the power of Satan. 
Nay, I will destroy it, and cast all the blasphemers into 
hell. God would indeed have reason to do this, for we 
know one mortal sin is enough to destroy the whole 
world, Why does He not do it ? What restrains Him 



Holy Mass is the Most Subltjne Sacrifice of Praise. 169 

from executing His dread purpose ? Most decidedly 
it is the holy sacrifice of the Mass which averts this 
calamity. For although the divine majesty is continu- 
ally blasphemed by ungodly men, on the other hand it is 
continually honored by priests in thousands of Masses, 
and worthily blessed by Christ Himself. This tribute of 
praise far outweighs the blasphemies of the reprobate, 
and makes amends to God for the indignities shown 
Him. 

We have indeed reason enough, and it is our bounden 
duty to give heartfelt thanks to Christ for having, of His 
pure mercy, instituted the sacrifice of the Mass, whereby 
the world, despite its iniquities, is preserved from de- 
struction, blasphemers are rescued from the abyss of hell, 
the negligence of the just is compensated for, and the 
infinite God receives the praise and honor which belong 
to Him. 

All glory and thanks be to Thee, therefore, most 
loving Jesus, from me and from all children of the 
Church, nay, from all creatures in heaven and on earth, 
for the inestimable benefit which Thou hast conferred, 
and dost daily confer, upon us by the institution of holy 
Mass. How can we better express our sense of this 
benefit than by regular and devout attendance at Mass, 
by participating in the oblation of praise and thanksgiv- 
ing which Thou dost offer to the Godhead in it? Would 
to God that I could incite all men to hear Mass fre- 
quently, to hear it devoutly ! Do Thou do what I cannot 
do; pour into my heart and into the hearts of all the 
faithful the spirit of devotion, so that we may ever in- 
crease in our love for holy Mass, and may daily join in 
offering this sacred oblation. 



170 Holy Mass is the Noblest Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, 



CHAPTER XIII. 

HOLY MASS IS THE NOBLEST SACRIFICE OF 
THANKSGIVING. 

IMMEASURABLE indeed are the benefits which have 
been bestowed, and are daily bestowed, upon us by 
the divine liberality. For God the Father is our 
Creator; He has given us our five bodily senses and 
made us sound of limb; He has created our soul after 
His own image, cleansed it by the operation of the Holy 
Ghost in the laver of Baptism, purified it and chosen it 
for His spouse. He has appointed to each one of us an 
angel guardian for our protection; He sustains us as His 
children, forgives us our sins in confession, feeds us 
with His sacred body and blood in holy communion, 
bears patiently with us when we fall into sin, awaits with 
long-suffering our return to Him, gives us good inspira- 
tions, prevents us with His grace, teaches us by His 
divine word, delivers us from evil, grants our humble 
prayers, comforts us in tribulation, strengthens us in 
temptation, protects us from disgrace, graciously accepts 
our good works, and confers on us innumerable benefits. 
Many and great as are these and other favors which 
God in His bounty has lavished on us, they are not all; 
for to these He adds this grace, that of adopting us for 
His children. St. John the Evangelist extols this ines- 
timable benefit in the following words: ** Behold what 
manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, 
that we should be called, and should be, the sons of 
God." (i. St. John iii. i.) And St. Paul says: '^ And if 
sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs with 



Holy Mass is the Noblest Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, iji 

Christ." (Rom. viii. 17.) Is not this an unspeakable 
favor, that Almighty God should call us poor beggars His 
children, and make us rightful heirs to His kingdom ? 

To all this He adds another, a stupendous, benefit. 
When by reason of our sins we had come under the do- 
minion of Satan, He ransomed us from that slavery by 
His own Son. Christ wished to impress upon us the 
magnitude of that benefit when He said: " God so loved 
the world as to give His only-begotten Son'* (St. John iii. 
16) not only to take upon Him our nature, but to suf- 
fer a cruel death for us. Nor was this infinite benefit 
conferred only on the friends of God: His enemies also 
were included in it, as St. Paul says: "God commendeth 
His charity towards us, because when as yet we were sin- 
ners Christ died for us." (Rom. v. 8, 9.) For love so 
surpassing as this we can never make an adequate return. 
If the great God and Lord of all had but once vouchsafed 
to look kindly upon us, poor worms of earth, we could 
never be grateful enough to Him. How, then, can we 
thank or requite Him for having endured a life of poverty 
and suffered a death of shame for our sakes ? 

Osorius says: " If any one has conferred a great boon 
upon thee, thou art bound to make ample returns, lest thou 
appear wanting in gratitude to thy benefactor." Since 
we have received benefits so innumerable from the hand 
of God, we are bound to requite them fittingly. Where- 
fore let us say with the Royal Prophet : " What shall I 
render to the Lord for all the things that He hath ren- 
dered to me ? '* (Ps. cxv. 3.) And with the prophet 
Micheas : '' What shall I offer to the Lord that is 
worthy?" (Mich. vi. 6.) What these holy men said and 
did it is our duty to say and do. We are under the 
greatest obligations to our God; if we make Him no re- 
turn, we are guilty of the basest ingratitude and incur a 
grievous sii). 



172 Holy Mass is the Noblest Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, 

What, then, wilt thou do, who art poor and destitute ? 
How wilt thou defray thy heavy debt ? Listen to the coun- 
sel David gives thee: "Offer to God the sacrifice of 
praise, and pay thy vows to the Most High." (Ps. xlix. 14.) 
Now the noblest offering of praise, as was shown in the 
preceding chapter, is the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Con- 
sequently thou canst find no better means of giving 
thanks to God, the greatest of all benefactors, than by 
frequently hearing Mass, and offering it to Him in return 
for all His mercies. St. Irenaeus says: "For this holy 
Mass was instituted, that we might not appear thankless 
towards our God." That is to say: If it were not for the 
sacrifice of the Mass, we should have nothing in the whole 
world wherewith we could adequately render thanks to 
God for the benefits we have received from Him. Christ, 
therefore, had this object in view when He instituted the 
Mass, namely, to provide us with an efficacious act of 
thanksgiving whereby to express our gratitude towards 
God. 

The words of the Mass are of themselves sufficient 
evidence that it is justly termed a sacrifice of thanksgiv- 
ing. What is it but a hearty giving of thanks when the 
priest says in the Gloria in excelsis: "We praise Thee; 
we bless Thee; we adore Thee; we glorify Thee; we give 
thanks to Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly 
King, God the Father Almighty," etc. ? And in the pref- 
ace he calls upon all present to give thanks, saying: " Let 
us give thanks to the Lord our God; it is truly meet and 
just, right and salutary, that we should always and in all 
places give thanks to Thee, O holy Lord, Father 
Almighty, Eternal God, through Christ Our Lord," etc. 
No more sublime hymn of praise can be offered to God 
than the Church utters in the preface. 

And when the priest comes to the consecration he says 
these words; " Who took bread into His holy and verier^- 



Holy Mass is the Noblest Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, 173 

ble hands, and with His eyes lifted up towards heaven, to 
God, His almighty Father, giving thanks/* How touching 
is this lifting up of the eyes of our dear Lord ! How all- 
powerful His giving of thanks, transcending by far that 
of all angels and all men ! Had we been able of ourselves 
to give God due thanks, it would not have been neces- 
sary for Christ to come to our assistance. What He did 
at the Last Supper He repeats daily upon our altars, 
where, raising His eyes to His Father, He gives Him 
hearty thanks for all His benefits. And since this thanks- 
giving is from the lips of One Who is divine, it cannot be 
otherwise than infinite; and since it is infinite, God can 
require nothing more; and since He can require nothing 
more, it must needs give Him infinite satisfaction. 

Th.erefore, when thou hearest Mass, unite thy heart and 
thy will to the heart and the will of Christ, and give God 
thanks with all thy powers. And in order that this giving 
of thanks may be the more efficacious and acceptable, 
offer to the Eternal Father that superabundant thanks- 
giving which His divine Son, under the species of bread 
and wine, offers to Him, for all the benefits He has be- 
stowed on thee. ^ 

If from thy earliest childhood up to this hour thou 
hadst thanked God upon thy knees for all His gifts and 
graces, if thou hadst called upon all devout persons to 
join with thee in thy life-long tribute of thanks, nay, if 
thou hadst invoked the company of angels and saints to 
come to thy aid, and they in union with thee and all 
good men had incessantly thanked and praised God, 
the tribute of gratitude paid to Him would be less 
than that rendered to Him by His Son in one single 
Mass. 

We will now inquire into the reason of this. Philoso- 
phers tell us that the finite bears no relation to the in- 
finite, for the infinite transcends the finite in an infinite 



174 Holy Mass is the Noblest Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, 

degree. Now the thanksgiving of all creatures both in 
heaven and on earth is finite, and consequently finite in 
power and finite in value. But the thanksgiving of the 
Son of God, what He renders to His Father in holy 
Mass, is infinite, in virtue of His divinity, and therefore 
infinite in power and in value. Accordingly it is infinitely 
more pleasing to God the Father than the thanksgiving 
of all the finite beings in the universe. Christ offers this 
infinite thanksgiving to His Father for thee, if thou dost 
hear Mass devoutly: He gives it thee for thine own, and 
as such thou canst offer it to Almighty God. Do this, and 
the thanks thou wilt render to God will be no finite and 
human thanksgiving, it will be infinite and divine. 

Would to God that we appreciated aright the immense 
treasure which we possess in holy Mass ! How happy 
should we then be ! How attentively we should hear Mass ! 
To us may be applied the words of St. Paul: ** I give thanks 
to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is 
given you in Christ Jesus, that in all things you are made 
rich in Him, ... so that nothing is wanting to you in 
any grace." (i. Cor. i. 4, 5, 7.) Truly by the holy Mass 
we are made rich in Christy and no grace is wanting to us; 
on the contrary, from it, as from a perennial fountain, we 
may draw abundant supplies of grace, for in it lies hid a 
wealth of celestial riches above all that the world could 
ever contain. 

Thus in holy Mass we have the noblest burnt-offering, 
the sublimest sacrifice of praise and of thanksgiving. It 
is the believer's greatest treasure, the devout Christian's 
dearest joy. It is a salutary atonement for the sinner, a 
powerful support for the dying, the surest earnest of de- 
liverance for the departed. We may truly say that in 
holy Mass we are made rich in Christ Jesus, so that no 
grace is wanting to us. 

In conclusion I will recapitulate what has been said on 



Holy Mass is the Noblest Sacrifice of Thanksgiving. 175 

this point by Segneri: "Consider, O Christian, how in- 
debted we are to Our Saviour for the institution of holy 
Mass; for without it we could never thank God aright 
for His benefits. It was the plenteousness of His love 
that induced Him not only to load us with benefits, but 
to place within our reach the best means of giving Him 
thanks for those benefits. Would that we appreciated 
our privileges and turned them to good account ! When 
we hear Mass, Christ, Who is immolated for us to God the 
Father, becomes our own, and with Him we become pos- 
sessed of His infinite merits, and are able to offer them to 
God the Father, to lighten the heavy load which weighs 
us down to the ground." 

Let us lay these words to heart, and profit by them. 
They show clearly how deeply we are indebted to Christ, 
not for instituting the Mass alone, but for constituting it 
so excellent an act of thanksgiving, whereby we may give 
thanks to God abundantly for all the benefits He has 
conferred on us. 

Praise and thanks be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, 
from me and from all created things, because of Thy 
pure love to us Thou hast instituted holy Mass, and made 
it a channel of countless graces and mercies to us. As a 
fitting acknowledgment of Thy favors I offer to Thee, 
and through Thee to the Holy Trinity, all the praise and 
thanksgiving rendered to Thee in all Masses until the 
end of time. I beg the choirs of angels and the company 
of the redeemed to laud and magnify Thee with us to all 
eternity. Amen. 



176 The Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation, 



CHAPTER XIV. 

HOLY MASS IS THE MOST EFFICACIOUS SACRI- 
FICE OF PROPITIATION. 

T N the law of Moses God enjoined upon the Jews to 
offer not only burnt-offerings in recognition of His 
sovereign dominion, but also peace-offerings for obtaining 
temporal good and averting calamities. These peace, or 
propitiatory, sacrifices were much valued by the Jews, for 
through them they gained many blessings and were de- 
livered from many evils. It is recorded in the First Book 
of Kings (ch. vii.) that when the Philistines were about to 
attack the children of Israel the latter entreated Samuel 
to cry to God for them. Samuel took a lamb, and offered 
it as a holocaust to the Lord, and cried to the Lord 
for Israel. Then God struck terror into the ranks of the 
Philistines, and they were overthrown by the Israelites. 
We also read of David that when the land was visited by 
a pestilence he offered holocausts and peace-offerings, and 
the plague was stayed from Israel. (11. Kings xxiv.) 
Many similar instances occur in the pages of Holy Scrip- 
ture. 

If God gave to the stiff-necked Jews so efficacious a 
sacrifice of propitiation, will He not have given to Chris- 
tians one far more powerful ? If under the Old Covenant 
a lamb, immolated as a peace-offering, was the means of 
procuring for those who offered it many blessings from 
God, what will not the sacrifice of the Lamb of God 
avail when, under the New Dispensation, it is offered an 
innocent victim upon our altars, and with it an inexhausti- 
ble store of merit ? 



The Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation, 177 

The Christian Church does indeed enjoy far greater 
privileges than the Jewish synagogue. Each sacrifice of 
the Old Law could only be offered for one object: the 
burnt-offering was appointed solely in recognition of the 
sovereignty of God; the sacrifice of atonement was for 
the remission of sin; the peace-offering to obtain some 
favor from God. And for each of these there was a distinct 
ceremonial, so that it could not be celebrated in a two- 
fold manner. Now holy Church, although she has but 
one sacrifice, can offer that one sacrifice with various in- 
tentions, and by it more can be effected than by all the 
different sacrifices of the Jews. 

The Council of Trent speaks very clearly on this point. 
It teaches us that: ** If any one saith that the sacrifice of 
the Mass is only a sacrifice of praise and of thanksgiving, or 
that it is a bare commemoration of the sacrifice consum- 
mated on the cross, but not a propitiatory sacrifice ; or that 
it profits him only who receives; and that it ought not to 
be offered for the living and the dead, for sins, pains, satis- 
factions and other necessities, let him be anathema.'* 
(Sess. xxii. C. 3.) These words contain an article of faith, 
which no man must gainsay, and which must be accepted 
on pain of forfeiting all title to eternal salvation. Hence it 
may be certainly aflSrmed that one Mass may be offered 
for various intentions, and that by one Mass many things 
may be asked and obtained from God. One may celebrate 
or hear Mass, or have it offered, for the greater glory of 
God, in honor of His blessed Mother, of the angels and 
saints, for one's own welfare and salvation, to obtain health, 
preservation fr®m misfortune, forgiveness of sin, amend- 
ment of life, the grace of a good death. All these bless- 
ings may be asked for one's self or for one's friends, and 
at the same time the Mass may be offered for the deliver- 
ance of the suffering souls in purgatory. In fact the more 
numerous our intentions the more abundant our merits. 



178 The Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation. 

Theologians tell us how potent holy Mass is as a pro- 
pitiatory sacrifice. Marchantius says: *^ This sacrifice 
possesses an infinite potency to obtain what we ask, 
because of the infinite value of the victim, the infinite 
dignity of the priest. There is no gift, no grace, which 
it does not avail to obtain. However numerous are the 
persons for whom it is offered, this sacred victim can 
procure the fulfilment of their petitions; and for these rea- 
sons: because Christ, the great high priest, is infinitely 
well-pleasing to God; because the merits which He offers 
to God the Father are infinite; because His passion. His 
blood, His wounds, are all-prevailing." 

From these words we learn whence the Mass derives 
its immense potency. It is from the exalted dignity of 
the person of Christ, Who, as the great high priest, Him- 
self offers this sacrifice, and presents to God the merits 
of His passion and death, which are infinite in value. 
And since Christ offers to His Father far more than He 
asks of Him, how can He refuse His request ? In re- 
gard to the value of holy Mass St. Laurence Justinian 
says: " There is no sacrifice so excellent, so profitable, so 
acceptable to the Divine Majesty as the holy sacrifice of 
the Mass, in which the wounds of our Redeemer, the 
humiliations He endured, the scourging and other tor- 
tures, are offered up to the Father. In it He beholds the 
sacred humanity of His Son, Whom He sent into the 
world that through His intercession sinners might find 
pardon, the fallen might be raised up, the just might 
receive the gift of eternal life." 

Wherefore when the priest, and the people who hear 
his Mass, present to the Eternal Father the sufferings and 
merits of Christ, in virtue of these gifts their petitions 
will be granted. 

In the law of Moses God forbade the judges to take a 
gift: "Thou shalt not accept person nor gifts; for gifts 



Mass the Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation. 179 

blind the eyes of the wise and change the words of the 
just.'* (Deut. xvi. 19.) This prohibition was on account 
of the frailty of human nature, which renders it almost 
impossible for the judgment not to be biassed by gifts of 
value. But when Holy Scripture says, "' Gifts blind the 
eyes of the wise," this does not apply to the all-wise God, 
Whose, eyes cannot be dazzled by gifts. And yet we are 
not wrong in asserting that the offering of the holy Mass 
leads God to alter His judgment and revoke His verdict. 
In fact we are assured that on receiving from our hands 
a gift of such intrinsic value divine justice concurs with 
divine mercy in listening to our petitions and granting 
our requests. 

A devout writer says: " In holy Mass we do not merely 
ask as suppliants of the Divine Mercy: we offer an equiva- 
lent for the favors we implore; we purchase them with a 
great price, the sufferings of Jesus Christ." Consider 
how costly are the gifts we offer in holy Mass; how 
dearly we purchase from God the graces we seek. We 
offer the sacred humanity of Christ, which for the greater 
glory of God was scourged, crowned with thorns, and 
crucified. We offer the same humanity which was per- 
sonally united to the Godhead, and by this union en- 
nobled in the highest degree. We offer the wounds that 
sacred humanity received, and the tears and blood that 
were shed. 

As a matter of fact what we offer to God in holy Mass 
is more than what we ask of Him in prayer; therefore it 
seems almost impossible that we should meet with a 
refusal. For w^e ask for what is created and earthly; but 
what we offer is divine and of priceless value. Can we 
imagine that God, Who cannot be outdone in generosity. 
Who promises to recompense even a cup of cold water, will 
make us no return when we present to Him the chalice of 
the blood of His first-born Son, shed anew in the Mass, 



l8o Mass the Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation, 

which cries to Him for grace and mercy on our be- 
half ? 

After the Last Supper Our Lord said to the apostles: 
** Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father any- 
thing in My name, He will give it you." (St. John xvi. 
23.) What more suitable time for presenting our peti • 
tions to the Father in the name of His Son than during 
Mass, when we present that divine Son in person, when 
we offer Him to the Father, and with Him all the sup- 
plications which He uttered upon earth ? St. Bonaven- 
ture says: "When a great general is taken prisoner, 
he is not set free unless a heavy sum is paid for his 
ransom." So we, who hold Christ a prisoner in holy 
Mass, will not let Him go until He gives us forgiveness 
of sin and the promise of eternal felicity. When the 
priest elevates Our Lord in the sacred host, it is as if he 
called thus upon the people: *' Behold, He Whom all the 
universe cannot contain is a prisoner in our hands. We 
will not let Him go until He grants our petitions." We 
may in this case follow the example of Jacob, and take 
his words upon our lips: "I will not let Thee go except 
Thou bless me." (Gen. xxxii. 26.) We will now give an 
instance of how much may be obtained by means of holy 
Mass. 

In the chronicles of the Capuchin Fathers we read of a 
pious lady, the wife of a very bad man, who treated her 
cruelly, and every day put some fresh affront upon her. 
After enduring this miserable state of things for several 
years she began almost to despair. One day two Capu- 
chins knocked at her door and asked an alms. She gave 
them what they asked, and then with tears told them 
how afflicted she was. The religious did their utmost to 
console her, advising her to go to Mass every day, and 
offer up her trials to Almighty God; through the power 
of the Mass they doubted not her husband would be 



Mass the Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation. i8i 

softened, and treat her more kindly in future. The 
woman thanked them for their good advice, and prom- 
ised, if possible, to act upon it. But her husband was 
such a tyrant that he never would allow her to go to 
Mass on week-days, so that the woman, much to her dis- 
tress, was unable to follow the counsel of the good 
religious. However, not long after it happened, in the 
good providence of God, that her husband had occasion 
to go on a long journey, and during his absence his wife 
gladly embraced the opportunity thus afforded her of 
hearing Mass every day. Earnestly she commended 
herself and her godless consort to God during the holy 
sacrifice, imploring Him to bring her husband to a better 
mind. Unfortunately the latter returned home sooner 
than he was expected, just at the time that his wife was 
at Mass. When, in answer to his questions, the servants 
informed him that their mistress was at church, and 
that, while he was away, she had been in the habit of go- 
ing to Mass daily, the scoundrel flew into a rage, and 
with sundry imprecations vowed he would kill her. 
This was no empty threat; on her reappearance he seized 
her by the throat, and tried to strangle her. The hap- 
less w^oman thought her last hour was come; raising her 
heart to God, she besought Him, in virtue of the Mass 
she had just heard, to come to her rescue. The divine 
assistance did not tarry: the man's hands became sud- 
denly benumbed. This infuriated him the more; he de- 
clared his wife was a witch, and put forth all his strength 
to execute his evil purpose. But in vain; his hands were 
rigid and cold as marble. Then at last he recognized 
the divine justice; bitterly he bewailed his sins, promising 
to amend his life and conduct himself properly towards 
his wife in future. Then they both appealed to the 
mercy of God, made vows and promises, not desisting 
lentil their supplications were heard, and the man regained 



1 82 Mass the Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation, 

the full use of his hands. This severe chastisement had 
the effect of inducing him entirely to abandon his im- 
pious course of life, treat his wife kindly, and frequently 
accompany her to holy Mass. 

The story of these two people shows the great blessing 
connected with the holy sacrifice. The lady had doubt- 
less often called upon God for help in her sore distress,, 
but her prayers had not been granted. But when she 
went to Mass, and there poured out her sorrow before 
God, she was not merely consoled, but the cause of her 
affliction was removed. This proves the truth of Mo- 
lina's words: *^ Through the sacrifice of the Mass, so 
costly in itself, so acceptable to God, all that is necessary 
for our salvation may be obtained from God, from His 
blessed Mother, and from the saints. And by no other 
means can we obtain that which has been denied to us in 
holy Mass." Enough has been already said to confirm 
this statement. For in the Mass we do not pray alone: 
the priest, the angels, Christ Himself, intercede with us 
and for us. Nor do we only proffer petitions, we present 
to God a gift equal to Himself. If, under such circum- 
stances, our request is denied, when and where can we 
hope that it will be granted ? Thus it is true that we can 
obtain by no other means that which the holy sacrifice 
has not procured for us. 

Here it may be asked how it is that, seeing the im- 
mense value of holy Mass, the petitions of those who offer 
it are not always granted. Father Gobat explains this 
in the following manner: " All do not obtain what they 
desire, for, although by no other act of worship do we 
so readily obtain from God the fulfilment of our wishes 
as by holy Mass, yet the efficacy of the Mass depends 
upon certain conditions which are not found in most 
men." Cardinal Bona speaks more explicitly on this 
point: "It belongs to the nature of a petition to suppose 



Mass the Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation. 183 

that the person asked is at liberty to withhold the thing 
for which he is asked. When we pray for anything to be 
given to us, we put forward a reason which we think will 
have weight with God, but He is by no means thereby 
compelled to grant our request. At the same time it 
may be certainly affirmed that holy Mass is never offered in 
vain. If we do not receive the very thing for which we 
asked, we infallibly receive something else that is more 
beneficial for us. And if this is not bestowed upon us im- 
mediately it will be given us in God's good time. Many 
graces are, besides, of such magnitude that not only one or 
two, but several, Masses are required if we would obtain 
them." 

We gather this from the answer Our Lord gave to St. 
Gertrude when she asked Him how it was that her pray- 
ers were so seldom granted. He replied: ^^ If I, the 
unsearchable Wisdom, do not always grant thy petitions 
according to thy desire, I give thee something more 
profitable, for by reason of human frailty thou art un- 
able to tell what is best for thee.*' Another time the 
saint asked Our Lord: " What good do I do to my friends 
by praying for them so much, since I perceive no improve- 
ment in them ? " He replied: " Do not wonder at seeing 
no apparent fruit of thy prayers; I, in My eternal wis- 
dom, dispose of them so that they will be most productive 
of good. I say to you, every prayer that is offered for any 
one augments his eternal happiness; no sincere prayer 
ever fails of its effect, although the eye of man may not 
be able to perceive in what way or manner.'* 

Every one must content himself with this answer, and 
take comfort from the assurance Christ gives that no 
pious prayer fails in its object or passes without reward. 
And if no prayer fails of its object, how much less holy 
Mass, the best of all prayers ? Lay to heart these words 
of Our Lord: '* No sincere prayer fails of its effect." The 



184 Mass the Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation, 

sincere prayer is one which is offered with confidence 
and fervor. He who prays without confidence receives 
little or nothing at all, as the following example will 
show. 

We read in the life of the Abbot Severinus that a vast 
swarm of locusts having alighted on a certain part of the 
country, where they were devouring all the produce of 
the soil, the inhabitants of the region thus devastated 
betook themselves to the abbot, and entreated him to 
pray for the removal of this scourge. Compassionating 
their distress, the holy man bade the people assemble in 
the church, and in a forcible address set before them the 
necessity of penance and of prayer. In conclusion he 
said: ^* I know no better means of intercession than the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass; I will therefore offer it, that 
you may be spared the loss of your crops. Do you on 
your part unite with me in fullest confidence in offering 
it to God for this object." The people did as they were 
admonished, with the exception of one farmer, who said: 
** You are fools to hope you will mend matters in this 
way. If you heard twenty Masses and prayed all day 
long, it would not help you to drive away a single locust." 
Then he went his wa,y to his work, while the others de- 
voutly heard Mass and implored Almighty God to de- 
liver them from the plague of locusts. Immediately 
after they went out into the fields; and behold ! their 
prayer was already answered: the locusts had risen and 
were taking flight. The people raised their hands to 
God in joy and gratitude, and the unbelieving farmer, 
who was there too, could scarcely believe his eyes. His 
want of faith was not to go unpunished, however, for the 
swarm of locusts when they had got some distance 
whirled round, descended like a thick cloud on his land, 
and began to consume everything with their proverbial 
voracity. The unlucky man cried to God for help, but 



Mass the Most Efficacious Sacrifice of Propitiation. 185 

he cried in vain; the locusts did not depart until every 
green leaf had disappeared. 

This story teaches us the potency of holy Mass, and 
the guilt of despising it. It ought to inspire us with the 
firmest confidence, so that we may follow the injunction 
of St. Paul: " Let us go, therefore, with confidence to the 
throne of grace; that we may obtain mercy, and find 
grace in seasonable aid." (Heb. iv. 16.) What is the 
throne of grace which the Apostle exhorts us to ap- 
proach ? It is the sacred altar, w^hereon the Lamb of 
God is immolated, whereon He gives His life for us, that 
we may find grace and mercy. We ought to go daily to 
this throne of grace to implore help in our necessity. 
We ought to go with devotion, reverence, and confidence, 
for it is a throne of grace, not of vengeance; a throne of 
mercy, not of justice; a throne where we shall find aid 
and shall meet with no rebuff. When, therefore, we 
pray for anything special at holy Mass, let us say with 
confidence: 

" Behold, O Father of mercy, in this holy sacrifice I 
come in confidence to Thy throne of grace to obtain 
pardon of my 'sins and help in my misery. I place my 
whole trust in this holy sacrifice, hoping thereby to ob- 
tain from Thee all I need. For the dignity of the vic- 
tim is infinite, the oblation is of infinite value, and the 
power of the sacrifice is infinite. On these three grounds 
Thou canst not refuse, O my God, to grant me the favor 
I ask, provided it be for Thy glory and for my good. 
Through the infinite satisfaction which this holy sacrifice 
affords Thee I ask in all confidence that Thou wouldst 
bestow on me the grace I implore for Thy greater glory, 
and wouldst increase the confidence wherewith I ap- 
proach this throne of grace," 



1 86 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offering. 



CHAPTER XV. 

HOLY MASS IS THE MOST POWERFUL SIN- 
OFFERING. 

n^HE light of reason suffices to teach us that the in- 
firmity of human nature, so prone to sin, needs a 
sacrifice of atonement, and of this the patriarchs who 
lived before the time of Moses were conscious. For we 
read of holy Job, who lived by the light of natural re- 
ligion, that he was accustomed every seven days to call 
his ten children together to sanctify them, and offer 
holocausts for every one of them. For he said to him- 
self: ** Lest perhaps my sons have sinned [in their feast- 
ing] and have blasphemed God in their hearts." (Job 
i. 5.) Thus we see that the prompting of reason led the 
patriarchs to offer expiatory sacrifices to God Almighty, 
and implore His pardon. In the law of Moses God 
Himself appointed a sacrifice of atonement for the person 
who sinned, saying: "Let him do penance for his sin, 
and offer of the flocks an ewe-lamb or a she-goat, and 
the priest shall pray for him and for his sin. But if he 
be not able to offer a beast, let him offer two turtles or 
two young pigeons to the Lord, one for sin and the other 
for a holocaust, . . . and the priest shall pray for him 
and for his sin, and it shall be forgiven him." (Lev. v. 

5r 6, 7^ IO-) 

If the Old Law, which was but a shadow of the New, 
appointed an expiatory sacrifice for the consolation and 
spiritual welfare of the Jews, how much the more need- 
fvil that the Church should provide a gacrifice of atone- 



' Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sz 71- Offering. 187 

ment for her children — a new sacrifice, as far superior to 
the old as the Christian Church is to the Jewish Syna- 
gogue. The sacrifice of blood, offered upon the cross, 
was once offered, and could not be repeated; it was 
therefore necessary to institute another, which should be 
offered daily for our daily transgressions. On this point 
the Church teaches us: " Although Christ was about to 
offer Himself once on the altar of the cross, there to 
operate an eternal redemption; nevertheless, because 
that His priesthood was not to be extinguished by His 
death, at the Last Supper He offered up to God the 
Father His own body and blood, under the species of 
bread and wine, and commanded His apostles and their 
successors in the priesthood to offer them.'* (Council 
of Trent, sess. xxii. ch. i.) 

Such are the words in which the holy Catholic 
Church declares to us that Christ at the Last Supper in- 
stituted the Mass, and commanded His apostles and 
priests to celebrate it. The reason of this is also given: 
" That He might leave to the Church a visible sacrifice, 
whereby that bloody sacrifice might be represented, and 
its salutary virtue be applied in remission of the sins we 
daily commit." This passage contains an article of 
faith, which no one must venture to contradict; and it 
shows us that holy Mass is a sacrifice of atonement, since 
it was instituted by Christ in order that His Church might 
have a sacrifice for the remission of daily sins. What a 
salutary, what an all-prevailing, sacrifice of atonement ! 
Happy the Church who possesses such a sacrifice! 

That the Mass is indeed a veritable sacrifice of atone- 
ment, offered in expiation of the sins of the people, is shown 
by the action of the priest, who, at the commencement 
of the Mass, humbly bowing down, says the Confiteor^ 
or general confession, striking his breast three times; 
and after the server has done the same in the name of 



i88 Holy Mass is the Most Powoful Sin-Off erzng. 

the congregation he pronounces the absolution: " May 
Almighty God have mercy upon you, forgive you your 
sins, and bring you to life everlasting." Then, signing 
himself with the sign of the cross, he says: '' May the 
almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, 
and remission of our sins.'* He next invokes the mercy 
of God for the forgiveness of sin, saying the Kyrie eleison: 
*' Lord, have mercy on us; Christ, have mercy on us ! 
Must not this humble and devout ejaculation, rising to 
heaven, reach the ear of God, and. move His divine 
heart to pity ? 

The priest also says many collects, secret prayers and 
other prayers, which contain a petition for forgiveness 
of sin. Presently he repeats three times, aloud: " Lamb 
of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have 
mercy upon us ! *' All this leaves no doubt that the 
Mass is a sacrifice of atonement, offered for the remission 
of sin. 

On this subject Marchantius says: " As Christ upon 
the cross took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, 
to atone for them with His blood, so we lay our sins upon 
Him as upon a victim about to be immolated upon the 
altar^ that He may expiate them. It is to indicate this 
that the priest at the commencement of the Mass bows 
down at the foot of the altar, and in the spirit of humil- 
ity presents himself as if laden with the sins of the 
people before the Eternal Father, in order to prevail on 
Him to have mercy. In this position he also personates 
Christ upon the Mount of Olives, Who, bowed down 
under the burden of the sins of the whole world, which 
were laid upon Him, fell upon His face. His sweat be- 
coming as drops of blood, and prayed earnestly to His 
heavenly Father. So the priest, Christ's representative, 
prays for his own sins and those of all persons present, 
for whom the price of our redemption was once paid, 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offering. 189 

and is daily renewed and offered afresh to operate the 
remission of sin." 

These beautiful and consoling words cannot fail to in- 
fuse courage into the heart of every sinner, and inspire 
him with joyous ardor in hearing holy Mass; for they tell 
him that Christ has taken upon Himself all the trans- 
gressions of which he is guilty, and will atone for them 
with His blood; they tell him that Christ in the sinner's 
place implores the mercy of God the Father, offering to 
Him the great price of our redemption, to qbtain for us 
remission of sin. 

Let us now hear what the fathers of the Church say 
with respect to this expiatory sacrifice, and how they 
explain it. St. James in his liturgy says: "We offer 
Thee this unbloody sacrifice, O Lord, for our sins and 
the ignorance of the people." Here observe that we 
commit many sins of which we take no heed, which 
we do not confess, but for which we shall yet have 
to give account. That these unrecognized sins are ac- 
counted as transgressions we learn from David, who 
prays that they may be forgiven: " The sins of my youth 
and my ignorances do not remember." (Ps. xxiv. 7.) And 
again: " Who can understand sins ? From my secret ones 
cleanse me, O Lord, and from those of others spare Thy 
servant." (Ps. xviii. 13, 14.) In order that we may not 
appear before the judgment-seat of God with these secret 
sins upon our soul, let us be diligent in hearing Mass, of 
which St. James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, says: 
" That it is offered for the ignorances of the people." 

Marchantius also says : " The holy sacrifice of- the Mass, 
offered to Almighty God, serves to atone for mortal sins, 
but preeminently for secret sins, those, that is, which 
after careful examination of conscience we cannot recall 
to mind." Holy Mass does not actually cleanse from 
sin, but it obtains for us the grace of contrition, not only 



190 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offer zng, 

for known sins, but still more for those that are unknown 
or forgotten. St. Gregory says: ** Just persons do not 
tremble on account of known sins, because they have 
confessed and done penance for them. Their chief 
cause for apprehension lies in the sins of which they are 
not conscious; as St. Paul says: * I am not conscious to 
myself of anything, yet am I not hereby justified: but 
He that judgeth me is the Lord ' (i. Cor. iv. 4.), and the 
Lord has sharper eyes than I have." We miserable mor- 
tals shall indeed have cause to quake in the judgment on 
account of our secret sins. Wherefore we shall do well 
to offer all the Masses we hear to the divine justice for 
the remission of our secret sins. This is expressed in the 
words the Church places on the lips of the priest in the 
prayers for the fifth Sunday after Epiphany: '* We offer 
unto Thee, O Lord, sacrifices of propitiation; that, tak- 
ing compassion on us, Thou wouldst absolve us from our 
sins." The sins of which we are not conscious we can- 
not confess to the priest; therefore we confess them in 
general to God, and offer to Him the Mass as a propitia- 
tory sacrifice, beseeching Him to absolve us from them. 
Furthermore, let us hear what Pope Alexander 1. says 
concerning this sacrifice of propitiation: " By the offer- 
ing of this victim the Lord is appeased, and forgives all, 
even the most grievous sins." The holy pope and 
martyr Julius writes : ** All sins and iniquities are blotted 
out by the offering of this oblation." What comfort 
these words bring to the heart of the sinner, assuring 
him, as they do, that all sins, without exception, may be 
purged away by holy Mass ! Again, St. Athanasius says : 
** The offering of the unbloody sacrifice is the expiation 
of our crimes." Passages of this kind from the fathers 
might be multiplied, but we will content ourselves with 
the pronouncement of holy Church on the subject: 
" The holy Synod teaches that this sacrifice is truly pro- 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Off ermg, 191 

pitiatory, and if one draw nigh unto God, contrite and 
penitent, He will be appeased by the offering thereof, 
and, granting the grace and gift of penitence, forgive even 
heinous crimes and sins." (Sess. xxii. ch. 2.) Words of 
solace, which show us what blessings and graces flow to 
us from this noblest of sacrifices ! What praise and 
gratitude we owe to Christ for having given us so effica- 
cious a means of propitiating an offended God ! 

It may perhaps be asked, What need have we of a pro- 
pitiatory sacrifice, since without it we can appease the 
wrath of God by sincere repentance?' I answer: Doubt- 
less we can appease the divine anger by sincere contri- 
tion; but how is the sinner to obtain sincere contrition? 
It will not spring up of itself within his breast, for we 
might as well expect the dead to come to life again as a 
sinner of his own self to awake to penitence. If it were 
possible for him to do this, there would not be many 
doomed to eternal perdition; for almost -everyone, feel- 
ing his end draw near, would excite in himself contrition 
and sorrow, and die in the grace of God. A sermon, or 
a pious book, may perchanc^e be instrumental in awaken- 
ing a sinner to repentance, but not without a special grace 
from God. God, justly offended by our crimes, is by no 
means bound to give us this grace, and He does not give 
it lightly, unless He is specially moved thereto. Now, 
there is nothing in heaven or on earth which has so 
muck power with God to induce Him to grant this 
grace^ as holy Mass. As Father Gobat says: "Holy 
Mass is for all those who hear it an expiatory sacrifice 
of such value that for the sake of it God grants them 
power to do all that is necessary to obtain pardon of the 
mortal sins they may have committed; that is. He gives 
them grace to acknowledge and bewail their sins, and to 
make a good confession." 

The words Our Lord addressed to St. Gertrude show 



192 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offering. 

how easily we may obtain remission of sin, through 
offering holy Mass to this end. It was one Holy Week, 
while the antiphon, " He is sacrificed because He Him- 
self willed it," was being sung, that He said to her: " If 
thou believest that I am offered up to God the Father 
upon the cross because it was My will to be offered in 
this manner, believe also and doubt not that every day 
I desire, with the same love and strength of desire, to be 
sacrificed for every sinner upon the altar, as I sacrificed 
Myself upon the cross for the salvation of the world. 
Therefore there is no one, however heavy the weight of 
sin wherewith he is burdened, who may not hope for 
pardon, if he offers to the Father My sinless life and 
death, provided he believes that thereby he will obtain 
the blessed fruit of forgiveness." 

These words, coming as they do from the lips of divine 
Truth, are indeed full of sweet consolation. Can it pos- 
sibly be true that the charity of Christ is so exceeding 
great that He desires daily to be offered to God the 
Father in holy Mass for each individual sinner, with the 
same desire that urged Him to suffer upon the. cross for 
the world's redemption? If so, fulfil, O sinner, this 
ardent desire of thy Lord; offer daily, nay, many times 
a day, the passion, the death of His well-beloved Son to 
God the Father, trusting to receive remission of thy sins 
according to the promise of Jesus Christ. This oblation 
can be made not only at Mass, but at other times besides; 
not only with the lips, but also with the heart. For in 
the words quoted above. Our Lord makes no mention of 
holy Mass, nor of vocal prayer. 

Now, if the unspoken offering of the heart is so effica- 
cious, what must not the efhcacy be of the actual mate- 
rial oblation, which is daily offered in holy Mass ? For 
in the Mass Christ is not offered merely by words, or in 
a spiritual manner: He is offered actually and corporally 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Si7i'0ffering. 193 

by the hands of the priest, and what the priest offers we 
offer. For it is not in his own name alone that the 
priest offers the body and blood of Christ, it is in the 
name of all present, of all faithful Christians. After the 
consecration he employs these words: "Wherefore, O 
Lord, we thy servants, as also Thy holy people, offer to 
Thy most excellent Majesty a pure host," etc. 

Before leaving the subject of the expiatory sacrifice, 
let me add the words Our Lord spoke to St. Mechtilde: 
'* Such is My long-suffering, when I come at the time of 
Mass, that there is no sinner, how great soever, there 
present, with whom I do not bear patiently, and to whom, 
provided he desire it, I do not gladly grant forgiveness 
of sin/' These words, ineffable in their charity, tell us 
how potent is holy Mass as an expiatory sacrifice, since 
it is the means of reconciling us to Christ so completely 
that, far from repulsing the sinner who comes to Mas's, 
He stretches out His arms to him, He embraces him as 
a dear friend, He gladly forgives his offences, if only he 
gives signs of true penitence for his sins. 

A beautiful instance of this is given in the lives of 
the fathers. A saintly recluse, named Paul the Simple, 
had received from God the gift of reading the secrets of 
the heart. When the hermits came to church on Sun- 
days, he used to stand by the door, and if he perceived 
that one of them had some sin upon his conscience he 
would tell him of it in private, and exhort him to amend. 
One day, while he was thus standing at the church door, 
he saw a man approaching whose countenance, as in- 
deed his whole person,, was of a dark hue. Two devils 
•walked on either side of him, pulling him hither and 
thither with the chains wherewith they had bound him; 
his guardian angel followed, sorrowfully, at some dis- 
tance. The holy man began to weep and strike his 
breast, for he was grieved on account of the miserable 



194 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sm- Offering. 

condition of this unhappy sinner. The hermits begged 
him to come inside the church to hear Mass, but he re- 
mained upon the threshold, not ceasing to weep and 
lament. When the monks issued from the chapel after 
Mass, he watched anxiously for the object of his concern; 
and see ! he came towards him with a bright and beam- 
ing countenance, his angel guardian at his side, while the 
devils withdrew discomfited. Then Blessed Paul sprang 
to his feet, and exclaimed aloud: " How inexpressible is 
the goodness of God ! How unfathomable is the divine 
mercy I " Standing upon the steps of the church, he 
called to the others: '' Come, brethren, listen, hear what 
has happened, and marvel at the wonders worked by our 
God. I saw this man enter these portals black as ebony, 
surrounded by demons; but when he comes out he is 
fair and white, and his angel walks beside him." Turn- 
ing to the individual in question, he said to him: " Give 
the glory to God, and tell us the condition of thy soul.*' 
Then the man declared in the hearing of all: "I am a 
grievous sinner; for a long time I have been leading a 
licentious life. But when, just now in the church, I 
heard those words of the prophet Isaias read for the 
epistle: * Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil 
of your devices from My eyes. If your sins be as scarlet, 
they shall be made as white as snow ' [Is. i. i6, i8] — I 
breathed forth a prayer to God, saying: ' O Thou Who 
earnest into the world to save sinners, fulfil Thy promise 
to me, a poor sinner.' During the whole of the Mass I 
kept repeating these words: ^ I promise Thee, O my 
God, never again will I commit so great a sin; O Lord, 
receive me, miserable transgressor that I am.' And I left 
the church fully resolved to lead anew life." And all who 
were present praised God, saying : " How glorious are Thy 
works, O Lord, Who by the power of holy Mass dost bring 
the sinner to repentance, and admit him to Thy favor." 



Holy Mass is the Mott Powerful S in-Offering. i9§ 

Well may we exclaim with these pious hermits: " How 
great is the power of this most holy sacrifice of the 
Mass ! How mightily does it operate in the conversion 
of sinners ! How many a hardened sinner is by it moved 
to repentance, rescued from eternal perdition ! " Let us 
render continual thanks to our loving Saviour, Who at so 
great a cost to Himself appointed this salutary sacrifice 
of propitiation, thereby making it easy for us to reconcile 
ourselves to an offended God, and acquit ourselves of the 
debt we owe Him. How privileged we are in contrast 
to the Jews of old, who, for all their costly sacrifices, 
had not one which could avail for the remission of a 
single sin; as St. Paul says: "It is impossible that with 
the blood of oxen and goats sins should be taken away." 
(Heb. X. 4.) If we lived under a dispensation like to 
that of the Jews, our sins would probably be unatoned 
for, and we should be lost forever, since now, when we 
possess a sin-offering of such surpassing virtue, we ab- 
sent ourselves from it on such slight pretexts, and assist 
at it so carelessly. Bethink thyself, O sinner, how 
greatly against thy own interests thou art acting in neg- 
lecting Mass, and putting off to a future life the expia- 
tion of thy sins. See that thou correct thyself in this 
respect; rouse thyself from thy tepidity, and frequently 
offer to God the atoning sacrifice of the Mass. 

THE MANNER IN WHICH HOLY MASS EFFECTS THE FOR- 
GIVENESS OF SIN AND THE CONVERSION OF HARD- 
ENED SINNERS. 

St. Thomas Aquinas asserts the Mass to be a powerful 
means of atonement when he says: " The special effect 
of the holy sacrifice of the Mass is that it operates our 
reconciliation with God." In explanation of this he 
gives the following illustration: "Just as a man will for- 
give the wrong done him by his fellow-man on considera- 



I96 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offering* 

tion of a valuable gift which is presented to him, or a 
service which is rendered to him, so the anger of God 
may be appeased by the acceptable service thou dost 
render Him when thou hearest Mass, and by the price- 
less gift which thou dost offer Him in the oblation of the 
body and blood of Jesus Christ." This doctrine of the 
angelic doctor coincides with the opinion of all theolo- 
gians and with the teaching of Holy Scripture. 

We are told that the patriarch Jacob, fearing that his 
brother Esau, enraged at finding that he had defrauded 
him of his birthright and his father's blessing, would seek 
to revenge himself on him, said within himself: " I will 
appease him with presents, afterwards perhaps he will be 
gracious to me." (Gen. xxxii. 20.) Accordingly he 
sent him a quantity of camels, cows, oxen, sheep, goats, 
in view of conciliating him. Now, when in holy Mass 
we offer to the God against Whom we have offended the 
virtues, the merits, the life, passion, and death of His 
Son, His anger will be far more quickly appeased than 
Esau's was, because these gifts are of infinite value, and 
highly pleasing to God the Father. It is true our trans- 
gressions still cry for vengeance, but the blood of Christ 
calls for mercy on our behalf. The voice of this blood 
is, however, all-powerful. Therefore it prevails over the 
cry of our sins. Hence Albertus Magnus says: "By 
this inestimable gift the divine indignation and anger are 
fully appeased." 

No one will doubt that holy Mass has power to recon- 
cile the repentant sinner to God; but whether it also 
avails to reconcile the unrepentant is quite another 
question, and one which must be answered in the nega- 
tive, for only by sincere contrition can the sinner pass from 
a state of wrath to a state of grace. Consequently if an 
unrepentant sinner hears Mass, or Mass is said for him, it 
does not reconcile him to God, nor readmit him to grace. 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful S in-Offering, 197 

Is holy Mass of no benefit to him, then ? It is of great 
benefit to him, both temporally and spiritually. It profits 
him temporally, because for the sake of the Mass God 
preserves him from some misfortune, or bestows on him 
some favor. And the reason of this is because God, of 
His ineffable bounty, never leaves the least service 
unrewarded. Every time we hear Mass we merit an 
eternal recompense; but the unrepentant sinner is not 
capable of receiving an eternal recompense. Therefore 
God, of His pure mercy, gives him a temporal reward, 
such as preservation from some calamity, or the bestowal 
of some good thing in this life. 

But the spiritual profit accruing to him is much greater. 
For, according to the teaching of theologians, God gives in 
holy Mass preventing grace, by virtue of which the sinner 
is brought to the knowledge and abhorrence of mortal 
sin. This divine assistance, merited by the Mass heard 
or celebrated, does not, however, produce the same effect 
in all. There are hardened sinners, and sinners who are 
inclined to penance. The latter will by the holy Mass be 
brought to true contrition and penance, and through 
them be reconciled to God; but the former, though the 
same grace is offered them, will reject it in the obduracy 
of their evil heart. 

We must not, however, conclude that the Mass is not a 
propitiatory sacrifice because the hardened sinner will 
not accept, but rejects God's preventing grace; it is, and 
always will be, a propitiatory sacrifice, and we are bound 
to regard it as such. The Church teaches: " If any one 
saith that the sacrifice of the Mass is not a propitiatory 
sacrifice, let him be anathema/' (Sess. xxii. c. 3.) It 
is termed propitiatory because through the merits of 
Christ assistance is given to the sinner to recognize and 
repent of his sins. This succor is specially given to those 
who assist at Mass. Were it not so, the Mass would 



1 98 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sm- Offering, 

possess no peculiar power of making us participators in 
Christ's redemption over and above that of any other 
good work which may be offered up on behalf of a sinner. 
We know that this cannot be the case, for in the Mass 
Christ bequeathed to us a special antidote against the 
poison of sin. 

It is by no means indispensable that the effects of the 
Mass should be immediately apparent; it is enough that 
they should come in God's own time. We know that 
Christ upon the cross pleaded with tears on behalf of 
sinners, and offered for them His cruel passion and death; 
yet of all the thousands present how few struck their 
breasts in contrition and said in firm faith: "Indeed 
this was the Son of God." (St. Matt, xxvii. 54.) The 
others continued obdurate, and thrust from them the 
proffered grace and divine assistance. Not until Pente- 
cost did the prayer of Christ and His sacrifice upon the 
cross produce their effect; then three thousand persons 
were converted by the preaching of St. Peter. In like 
manner the holy sacrifice of the Mass does not always 
effect the conversion of the sinner at once: it works 
gradually, when God softens the hard heart of the sinner 
by degrees, and disposes it to receive the influence of 
grace. This gradual conversion is preeminently due 
to holy Mass, since it gives time for the sinner to hear 
several Masses or have them said for him. Marchantius 
says the same: "Holy Mass does not blot out sin, but it 
produces contrition, or the desire of true contrition. 
Sometimes this contrition is given during the celebration 
of the Mass which is said on behalf of a particular 
person, sometimes at a later period, but always in virtue 
of that Mass. Oftentimes it happens that by a special 
grace the sinner is converted after the lapse of some time, 
and is not aware that he owes his conversion to the 
potency of the holy sacrifice. And when the sinner is 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful S in-Offering. 1 99 

not converted it is because he rejects the divine assist- 
ance which is offered to him, and abuses the means of 
grace instead of using them aright." 

The words of this learned man testify to the immense 
power which the holy Mass possesses for the conversion 
of hardened sinners. The Church also teaches us that 
when a repentant sinner offers the holy sacrifice to God, 
with the intention of conciliating Him, the grace of con- 
version and reconciliation with God will certainly be 
granted him. '' If we draw nigh unto God, contrite and 
penitent, and with sincere heart and upright faith, with 
fear and reverence, offer the holy Mass to God, the 
Lord, appeased by the oblation tfiereof, and granting 
the grace and gift of penitence, forgives even heinous 
crimes and sins." (Sess. xxii. ch. 2.) What consolation 
these words contain for the heart of the sinner { With 
what hope do they not inspire the pusillanimous and 
despondent ! They are assured that by the oblation of 
the Mass they can so far appease the anger of God that 
He will turn aside His wrath, will forgive them their 
transgressions, and admit them to His grace and friend- 
ship. Thus is fulfilled what Sirach says. *^The oblation 
of the just maketh the altar fat, and is an odor of 
sweetness in the sight of the Most High " (Ecclus-. xxxv. 
8); that is to say, when a miserable sinner offers to the 
Eternal Father His only-begotten Son as an expiatory 
sacrifice, and implores His mercy in virtue of Christ's 
merits. The Wise Man says: "A secret present quencheth 
anger: and a gift in the bosom the greatest wrath.'' 
(Prov. xxi. 14.) What is the secret gift here spoken of but 
the body of Christ under the form of bread ? Let us in 
holy Mass offer this secret gift, this costly present, and 
we shall thereby quench the anger of God and appease 
His wrath. 

This, as St. Bonaventure reminds us, the priest does in 



200 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offering. 

the name of all present when he elevates the sacred 
host, as if to say: *' We miserable sinners have trans- 
gressed and grievously offended Thee, O heavenly 
Father; but look upon the face of Thy Christ, Whom we 
here present to Thee, hoping to change Thy anger into 
mercy. Turn not away Thy face from Thy Son, of Whom 
Thou saidst: 'This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am 
well pleased/ For His sake turn us to Thee, and be not 
angry with us anymore." By such supplications and the 
oblation of the Mass many sinners have obtained the 
grace of repentance, whicli otherwise they would not have 
done. Holy Church would not place upon the lips of the 
priest the following prayer (secret for the fourth Saturday 
of Lent) were she not well aware that the offering of this 
expiatory sacrifice has the power to soften the hard heart, 
to convert the obstinate sinner: " Be appeased, we be- 
seech Thee, O Lord, by our offerings which Thou hast 
accepted: and graciously compel our wills, even though 
rebellious, to turn to Thee/ Wherefore let the sinner, 
although he may have sunk so low in the defilement of 
sin that he must needs almost despair of his conversion, 
go to Mass, and repeat that prayer, humbly imploring the 
God of mercy to convert him by means of the great 
power of holy Mass. 

But here an objection may perhaps be raised: What 
will such a prayer avail, how will it profit the sinner, since 
Holy Scripture says: " He that turneth away his ears 
from hearing the law, his prayer shall be an abomina- 
tion " (Prov. xxviii. 9) ? The angelic doctor St. Thomas 
Aquinas thus answers this question : " Although it is 
clearly stated in several passages of Scripture that the 
prayer of one who is in mortal sin cannot be pleasing to 
God, yet of His ineffable bounty He does not reject that 
prayer which is prompted by good motives, but graciously 
listens to it." 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Off ering, 201 

But even supposing that God would not accept the 
prayer of a hardened sinner, nevertheless He would most 
assuredly accept the holy Mass, so pleasing in His sight, 
which the suppliant offers. I do not mean that the prayer 
which the sinner offers during the Mass is pleasing to God, 
but that the Mass offered by the hardened sinner is most 
acceptable to Him. Can it be doubted that the just God 
will graciously accept the precious gift of the body and 
blood of His Son, even when offered by a sinner who in 
himself is hateful to Him ? Will He not say: *^ Although 
this man is My enemy and abhorrent to Me, yet the gift 
which he offers to Me with a good intention is surpass- 
ingly valuable and agreeable to me. Since he thus honors 
Me, I will in return for this gift offer him My grace; and 
if he accepts it I will overlook the affront he has done 
Me, and restore him to My friendship and favor." 

This assertion does not rest on my opinion alone, but 
upon the authority, as has already been seen, of the 
Council of Trent, which teaches that the offering of the 
holy sacrifice is a means of reconciling the sinner to God, 
and of obtaining the remission of all, even heinous, crimes 
and sins. Listen, O sinner ! to this consoling truth. 
Take from it fresh hope of thy salvation, fresh courage 
for the amendment of thy life; disentangle thyself from 
the net of despair, and trust in this all-powerful sacrifice 
of atonement. Although Holy Scripture says: "To 
God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike " 
(Wis. xiv. 9), yet do thou go diligently to church, and there 
join in offering the holy sacrifice to God. For even if 
thou didst hear Mass in a state of mortal sin, thou wouldst 
not commit another mortal sin, as priests do if they cele- 
brate unworthily or the laity if they communicate un- 
worthily; on the contrary, thou dost obtain help to return 
to the state of grace. 

The same effect is produced if a good man hears Mass 



202 Holy Mass is the Most Powerfitl Sm Offering, 

on behalf of an evil-doer, offering it to God for his con- 
version. We learn this from the revelations made to St. 
Gertrude. One day, when the saint was earnestly en- 
treating God at the time of Mass to prevent with His 
grace those souls who were destined to be converted and 
saved, and in virtue of the holy sacrifice to anticipate 
the time fixed for their conversion, she longed to plead 
also for those reprobate sinners who appeared to be 
doomed to eternal perdition, so great was the compassion 
she felt for them. She restrained herself, however, fear- 
ing that she would pray in vain. Our Lord, desiring to 
correct this pusillanimity on her part, said to her: " Do 
you suppose that My spotless body and precious blood, 
here upon the altar,, is not sufficiently powerful to bring 
those wTio are in the way of perdition to a better course 
of life ? ' St. Gertrude, amazed at the excess of loving- 
kindness evinced in these words, felt emboldened, while 
pondering them in her heart, to cry to the all-merciful 
Saviour, imploring Him by His precious body and blood, 
by the holy Mass then being celebrated, by His perpetual 
oblation of Himself upon the altar for the salvation of 
sinners, to bring at least some of those sinners who were 
in the way of damnation back to a state of grace. Our 
Lord graciously received her fervent petition, and assured 
her that it should be granted. Let this testimony to the 
potency of holy Mass to save sinners induce us to 
hear it frequently and devoutly, and offer it for our own 
conversion and that of other sinners. 

BY MEANS OF HOLY MASS VENIAL SINS ALSO ARE 
BLOTTED OUT. 

Through the holy sacrifice of the Mass venial sins also 
are atoned for — sins which are highly displeasing to God, 
far more so, in fact, than we unhappy sinners are wont 
to imagine. The following simile may help us to appre- 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offering, 203 

ciate the malice of venial sin. A man had a son who 
made him angry every day: he was careless at his work, 
idle, given up to pleasure; he made a bad use of his 
father's money, and paid no heed to the admonitions ad- 
dressed to him. The father complained bitterly of his 
son's conduct. But the latter excused himself on the 
plea that he never raised his hand against his father, or 
did him any mortal injury. In like manner we conduct 
ourselves towards God by the venial sins we daily commit. 

If we had no expiatory sacrifice wherewith to appease 
the wrath of our heavenly Father, to what a miserable 
end we should come ! Even though our daily sins are 
venial, not mortal, we yet stand in great need of a sacri- 
fice of atonement, lest the divine anger at length get the 
upper hand and He drive us out of His house as un- 
worthy to be His sons. 

In order to provide against so miserable a fate our 
loving Saviour has appointed for us a powerful means of 
atonement in holy Mass, wherein the oblation of the di- 
vine victim is offered for the blotting out of venial as 
well as mortal sin. This is expressly stated by holy 
Church in the decrees of the Council of Trent: " Christ 
instituted the holy Mass in the Last Supper that its sal- 
utary virtue be applied to the remission of those sins 
which we daily commit." (Sess. xxii. ch. 2.) These 
words, which are too clear to need elucidation, prove be- 
yond a doubt that the Mass is intended for the forgive- 
ness of daily venial sin. 

A learned writer expresses the same truth at greater 
length; he says: " This sacrifice is repeated daily because 
we sin daily, and the sins we commit are such as are in- 
evitable to human frailty. Wherefore so long as the 
Christian falls daily, so long will Christ be immolated 
daily in a mystical manner." Christ has, it is true, given 
us many other means of expiating our venial sins, such 



204 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offering, 

as making acts of contrition, prayer, patience in suffer- 
ing, etc., but none of these is so efficacious as holy Mass. 

On this point Suarez says: '^ It may be assumed that 
those who offer the holy sacrifice with the intention of 
obtaining the remission of their venial sins obtain it at 
least by reason of their prayer, because their will is op- 
posed to venial sin.' By this he intends to say: Since 
contrition for sin is indispensable to forgiveness, if a 
man hears Mass with the object of obtaining the pardon 
of his venial sins, it is a sure sign that he feels contrition 
for them, and desires to be delivered from them. Father 
Gobat says: ** Holy Mass is so essentially a sacrifice of 
atonement for those who hear it that by virtue of this 
holy sacrifice they obtain the remission of all their venial 
sins, even though they feel as yet no lively contrition for 
them. And provided they hear Mass in view of obtaining 
this remission, it is granted immediately and in full force." 
This assurance, given us by learned writers, that if we 
offer holy Mass in order to obtain forgiveness of venial 
sin it will be granted to us, even if our contrition be 
but weak, is indeed most consoling. It affords a fresh 
motive for going to Mass, since we have therein so easy 
a means of blotting out our daily offences. 

Again, speaking of the immense power inherent in 
holy Mass for the pardon o.f venial sin, Suarez says: 
" Christ instituted this divine oblation, and attached to 
it the virtue of His death, which is applied to us for the 
remission of our daily sins.'* That is to say: Christ 
forgives our venial sins by virtue of His death, inasmuch 
as in holy Mass His death is renewed in a mystic manner. 
Osorius also remarks that not only is the penalty of sin 
done away with in holy Mass by virtue of Christ's pas- 
sion, but the guilt of venial sins is also cancelled by this 
holy sacrifice. 

" The fruit of the Mass," says Father Stratius, "is ex- 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Off erzng. 205 

ceedingly plenteous, for it renders us participators in 
the superabundant riches of Christ's merits and satisfac- 
tion for sin. Such is the power of holy Mass that our 
sins melt away before it as w^ax before the fire, and the 
penalties we have incurred are turned aside from us." 
Wherefore, at the time of the Confiteor, at the commence- 
ment of the Mass, do thou pray thus: " O most just God, 
with contrite heart and steadfast hope I lay my sins upon 
this sacred altar, in order that they may be consumed by 
the flames of Thy divine charity, purged away by the 
precious blood of Jesus, and fully atoned for by His infi- 
nite merits. Amen." 

What has been said above may be summed up in these 
words of Marchantius: "It is evident that, in accordance 
with the object of its institution, the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass blots out venial sin. For Christ, knowing well how 
weak our nature is and how prone to evil by reason of origi- 
nal sin, provided us with a suitable remedy, and ordained 
a daily sacrifice for daily sins." How can we sufficiently 
thank our loving Redeemer for this unspeakable benefit, 
how can we appreciate it aright ? If we had not this di- 
vine oblation, or if we were to make no use of it for the 
expiation of our venial sins, alas! what a weight of sin 
should we not carry with us before the tribunal of the 
Eternal Judge ! How long, how severe, would be the 
atonement required from us in another world ! for these 
are the sins of which David speaks when he says: " My 
iniquities are multiplied above the hairs of my head." 
(Ps. xxxix. 13.) And again: ^* Who can understand sins ?" 
(Ps. xviii. 13.) They are the sins of which the Church 
says: " My transgressions are more in number than the 
sands of the sea." These sins often escape our observa- 
tion altogether, so that we do not confess or atone for 
them. We may, however, purge away and expiate them 
by means of the all-prevailing sacrifice of propitiation 



2o6 Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offer ing, 

which the greatest of all benefactors has graciously be- 
stowed upon us in holy Mass. 

Wouldst thou obtain forgiveness of thy venial sins by 
virtue of that holy sacrifice, then imitate the example of 
St. Gertrude, of whom it is recorded that " during holy 
Mass, which is the most true and efficacious atonement 
for the guilt of man, when the sacred victim was im- 
molated by the priest, she offered it to the Most High for 
the cleansing away of her sins. God the Father received 
the oblation graciously and admitted the saint to His 
embrace." These words, taken from the revelations of 
the saint, may well make us marvel at the wonderful 
power of this holy sacrifice. For when St. Gertrude, at 
the elevation of the adorable host, fervently prayed : 
'^ Holy Lord God, I offer to Thee this sacred host for the 
remission of my sins," these few words were effectual 
not merely to cleanse her soul from the stains it had con- 
tracted, but to render it worthy to be admitted to the 
bosom of God the Father. 

In imitation of the saint, see that thou, with a devotion 
and an emphasis like hers, at the elevation of the host, 
offer to God the Father the sacred oblation of the body 
and blood of His Son for the complete atonement and 
cleansing away of thy sins, both mortal and venial, say- 
ing: "Most merciful Father, .since this sacred victim is 
the most true and worthy atonement for the guilt of 
mankind, vouchsafe to receive it in expiation of my sins, 
and grant me remission of the chastisement due to them. 
Amen." The more often^ the more earnestly, thou dost 
this, the greater the number of venial sins which will be 
blotted out. For if thou dost ponder what has been said 
in this book of the supernatural power of the holy sacri- 
fice of the Mass, thou wilt not doubt that it can avail to 
cancel all thy sins and shortcomings. 

Consider, furthermore, that holy Mass does not only 



Holy Mass is the Most Powerful Sin-Offering. 207 

deliver from venial sin, it also cleanses our souls from 
their stains. St. John Damascene teaches us this when 
he says: " The immaculate and unbloody sacrifice of the 
Mass is for the healing of all wounds and the purification 
of all stains." This God foretold by the mouth of the 
prophet Ezechiel of old: "I will pour upon you clean 
water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness." 
(Ezechiel xxxvi. 25.) The cleansing here spoken of is 
effected by means of the sacred stream which flowed 
from Our Lord's pierced side; we read in St. John's Gos- 
pel: ^*One of the soldiers with a spear opened His side, 
and immediately there came out blood and water." (St. 
John xix. 34.) This was done by the special permission 
of God, for the divine Saviour desired to receive this 
wound in His side, and that it should remain open after 
His death, that it might become for us " a fountain of 
water, springing up into life everlasting." {Ibid, iv. 

The existence of this fountain was foretold by the 
prophet Zacharias : " There shall be a fountain open to 
the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusaleni." 
(Zach. xiii. i.) Out of this life-giving source the pre- 
cious stream of blood and water flows perennially, and to 
it all have free access, that they may quench their thirst 
and wash their stains away. The cleansing fount only 
flows, however, for those who go to it; it only profits 
those who draw from it water to wash away the stains of 
sin. In every Mass tliat is celebrated this salutary stream 
flows over all who are present, for the wound of Christ's 
side is then opened afresh. Happy we for whose cleansing 
this fountain ever flows ! How many unhappy sinners 
have gone thither, and thence with joy drawn the waters 
of grace, as the prophet Isaias foretold: "You shall draw 
water with joy out of the Saviour's fountains." (Is. xii. 
3.) And those sinners who neglect to repair to this 



2o8 Holy Mass the Most Complete Satisfaction for Sin. 

fountain He kindly invites to do so: "All you that thirst, 
come to the waters; and you that have no money, make 
haste, buy and eat; come ye, buy wine and milk without 
money and without any price." (Is. Iv. i.) In like 
manner St. John in the Apocalypse invites us: "The 
spirit and the bride say: Come. And he that heareth, let 
him say: Come. And he that thirsteth, let him come; 
and he that will, let him take the water of life, freely.** 
(Apoc. xxii. 17.) 

Behold how earnestly the prophet Isaias and the apos- 
tle John invite us to this health-giving fountain, which 
flows in holy Mass, because they both know how salutary 
is this water from the Saviour's side. For this fountain 
is a healing bath wherein our souls are washed, purified, 
and sanctified. Let us with the greatest joy and eager- 
ness betake ourselves to this fount of grace, open to us 
in holy Mass, and hear Mass with contrition and devo- 
tion, in order to cleanse our souls from guilt and stain. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS IS THE MOST 
COMPLETE SATISFACTION FOR SIN. 

T7OR the right comprehension of what follows it is neces- 
sary to bear in mind that the consequences of every 
sin are twofold: there is its guilt and its penalty. The 
guilt, or withdrawal of God's favor, and the eternal 
punishment are remitted by contrition and confession; 
the temporal punishment is likewise remitted by contri- 
tion, confession, and penance, but mostly only in part; 
that is to say, the deeper the contrition, the more sincere 
the confession, and the more severe the penance the 



Holy Mass the Most Co^nplete Satisfaction for Sin, 209 

larger the amount of temporal punishment of which they 
obtain the remission. The remainder of our debt 
must either be paid by means of tears, prayers, vigils, 
fasts, alms-giving, confession and communion, pilgrim- 
ages, Masses, and indulgences, or by the fire of purga- 
tory. Such works of penance are most repugnant to our 
senses, and on that account many refuse to perform 
them. What remains to be done, then, if we desire to 
escape the pains of purgatory, and yet will not do 
penance ? 

We must do as did the servant in the Gospel of whom 
Our Lord speaks: ** The kingdom of heaven is likened to 
a king, who would take an account of his servants. 
And when he had begun to take the account, one was 
brought to him that owed him ten thousand talents. 
And as he had not wherewith to pay it, . . . falling down, 
he besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I 
will pay thee all." (St. Matt, xviii. 23-26.) Must we 
not wonder at the boldness of this self-confident servant, 
who craves not the forgiveness of his enormous debt, or 
even of a part of it, but merely asks permission to post- 
pone the payment of it ? It was impossible for one in 
his position to find the means of defraying such a debt, 
even could he have lived another hundred years in his 
master's service. 

Let us remember that the story here related by the 
Saviour is no true story, but a parable or allegory; and 
that the servant represents one who has committed many 
grievous sins, and incurred a great debt towards Al- 
mighty God. Thou, O sinner, art the one of whom 
Christ speaks these words: "Thou knowest not that 
thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, 
and naked." (Apoc. iii. 17.) Thou hast no idea of the 
amount of the debt with which thou art burdened. 
How wilt thou with thy good works pay ten thousand 



2IO Holy Mass the Most Complete Satisfactiofi for Sin. 

talents, when as long as thou livest thou canst not earn 
one single talent ? So great is the punishment incurred 
by one mortal sin that by thy own strength thou couldst 
not compensate for it to all eternity. Yet there is a 
means whereby thy heavy debt may be cancelled. With 
the servant in the Gospel, fall at the feet of thy God and 
Lord, beseech Him, saying: " Lord, have patience with 
me; give me time to do penance, and I will discharge my 
debts to the full. If it is beyond my power to have 
Mass said for me, I will hear Mass as often and as atten- 
tively as I can, and offer it to Thee in payment of my 
heavy debt." 

The learned Sanchez gives the same counsel: "When 
thou hearest Mass, think to thyself that it is thine own, 
given to thee by God the Father as well as by God the 
Son." " That this is so the priest declares when, turning 
to the people, he says: " Brethren, pray that my sacrifice 
and yours may be acceptable to God the Father Al- 
mighty." To all present he announces that this sacrifice 
is not his alone, but theirs; consequently it is thine also. 
Considering this, say to God: " Lord, how much do I owe 
Thee ? A hundred, a thousand, or perhaps ten thousand 
talents ? I acknowledge. Lord, my deep indebtedness. 
I am ready to discharge my obligations. I cannot, in- 
deed, do this with my own merits, but I can with the 
abundant merits of Thy Son, present upon this altar, and 
given to me. I place this casket before Thee; take out 
of it as much as will defray my debt." Meditate thus 
with lively faith, and it will bring thee much comfort to 
know that in holy Mass we have a sufficient and unfail- 
ing fund from which our debts may be defrayed. 

Now let us see how great the power of holy Mass is in 
order that we may place our trust in it. Theologians 
teach us that the Mass, as well in respect to him who 
celebrates it as to those who have it said for their inten- 



Holy Mass the Most Complete Satisfacttoji for Sm. 2il 

tion and those who merely assist at it, never fails to effect 
the remission of the temporal penalty of sin, ex opere 
operatoj that is to say, the potency and efficacy of the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass cannot be augmented by the 
piety of the celebrant, nor diminished by his sinfulness; 
but whenever it is rightfully and validly offered it is in 
itself, through its own inherent power, of infinite value 
and marvellous efficacy. Of itself, and not through our 
cooperation or that of the priest, does it avail for the 
remission of the temporal penalty of sin. 

All poor sinners may take courage from this truth, 
since we are thereby assured that if they assist at Mass 
with contrition of heart they cannot fail to obtain re- 
mission of a part of the temporal punishment due to sin 
through the merits of Christ, which are applied to us in 
the Mass. Marchantius speaks of holy Mass as an effect- 
ual appropriation of the merits of Christ, the unlocking 
of His treasury, so that out of it we may take heavenly 
riches, and amply pay all that we owe. This is so vast and 
so full that if Christ were to give every sinner, past, pres- 
ent, and future, sufficient to cancel the penalty of his sins, 
there would still remain enough for countless worlds. 
Christ frequently gives us of this treasure: at our Baptism, 
when we awaken true contrition, when we go to confes- 
sion and communion, when we perform good works; but 
never does He bestow it with such liberality as at the 
time of Mass. This the Church teaches in these words: 
" The fruits of that bloody oblation are received most 
plentifully in this unbloody one." (Sess. xxii. ch. 2.) 
This is so because the Mass is the noblest sacrificial 
act, the one most pleasing to God, most salutary to 
mankind; because in it Christ is at once the high 
priest and the victim. It is in order that the faithful 
may take delight in holy Mass that Christ then bestows 
His gifts with so lavish a hand. 



212 Holy Mass the Most Complete Satisfaction for Sin, 

This distribution of the riches of Christ's treasury is 
almost as if our divine Redeemer were to descend from 
the altar during Mass, and, passing from one to another 
of the persons present, were to place in the hand of 
each a piece of gold as the reward of his attendance 
there. No one is excluded from this bestowal of gifts, 
unless he be in mortal sin, or hear Mass with voluntary 
distractions. All others participate in this donation, but 
it varies in amount, according to the dispositions of the 
recipient. In what manner are these celestial coins to 
be expended ? They may and ought to be presented to 
God the Father to discharge our debts, increase our 
measure of grace, and heighten our future felicity. Would 
that every sinner would lay this to heart, and, if he should 
fall into sin, hasten to church, hear Mass piously, and 
offer it to God to obtain forgiveness of sin, remission of 
its penalty, and amendment of life. This is the best and 
surest way to obtain these graces, and be preserved from 
the sin of relapse. 

THE AMOUNT OF TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT THAT CAN 
BE CANCELLED BY ONE MASS. 

The reader who perceives, from what has been said, 
that the temporal punishment of sin may be cancelled by 
holy Mass will perhaps be desirous to know to what ex- 
tent the Mass avails for this purpose. Before answering 
this inquiry it is necessary first to expound the great ex- 
cellence of holy Mass. The learned Father Lancicius 
says: ^' The value of the Mass is infinite. When cele- 
brated by the priest it has, on account of the divine 
nature of the victim and the oblation, a value no less 
great than it had when offered by Christ Himself in the 
Last Supper. It was then an act of infinite value, as 
were all the works He performed when on earth, because 
of the infinite dignity of His divine person. Consequently 
the sacrifice of the Mass is of infinite value." 



Holy Mass the Most Complete Satisfaction for Sin. 213 

The same writer proceeds to explain at length that 
although the value of the Mass is unlimited, the measure 
of benefit each one derives from it is limited. Other- 
wise with one single Mass a man might expiate all his 
guilt and acquit himself of his huge debt, an idea quite 
at variance with the teaching of the Church. Yet 
it is certain that the infinite value of the Mass renders it 
a means of compensating for a great number of offences; 
in fact, were any one to hear Mass with perfect devotion, 
that one Mass would be sufficient to cancel his guilt and 
its penalty. What fervent thanks we owe to Our Lord 
for having, in this precious oblation, placed within our 
reach so easy a means of discharging our heavy debt ! 
Since the Mass is of such infinite excellence, we do more 
by hearing it than by performing hard works of penance. 

St. Laurence Justinian confirms this assertion when he 
says: "Take a pair of scales, and place in one scale all 
manner of good works: prayers, fasts, vigils, mortifica- 
tions, pilgrimages, and what not; in the other scale place 
one single Mass. Hold up your scales, and you will see 
how entirely the latter outweighs the former; for in the 
Mass He is offered in Whom dwelleth all the fulness of 
the Godhead corporally, as St. Paul says [Col. ii. 9], 
Who in His person possesses an incomparable treasure of 
merits, and Whose intercession is alone omnipotent." 
This is as much as to say: If thou hadst performed all 
those works of penance, and piously offered them to God, 
thou wouldst only have offered human works, which are 
nothing in comparison to the infinite majesty of God. 
But when thou hearest Mass thou offerest divine gifts, 
the merits of Christ, the wounds of Christ, the body of 
Christ, the blood of Christ, the passion of Christ, the vir- 
tues of Christ, and thereby thou renderest to God infinite 
honor, infinite praise, infinite service, infinite satisfaction. 
Hence we may conclude how much of the punishment 



214 Holy Mass the Most Complete Satisfaction for Sin. 

due to sin may be cancelled by one Mass, since in the 
balance of divine justice it so far outweighs all our 
works of penance. And since these penances, performed 
in a state of grace, suffice for the remission of the temporal 
penalty of one mortal sin, a Mass heard devoutly will 
surely atone for several. 

And if any one should inquire further what is the exact 
amount of the pains of purgatory remitted or alleviated 
by one Mass, we reply that God has not revealed to His 
Church the severity or duration of the punishment to be 
undergone for mortal or venial sin. 

It may, however, be asked: " If by hearing Mass we ob- 
tain exemption from so much of the penalty of sin, what 
may we not hope to escape by having Mass said ? ** I an- 
swer: A man gains much more by having Mass said for 
himself in his lifetime than by simply hearing Mass, for 
then the whole satisfaction or merit of the Mass belongs 
to him, and will be applied to him by the priest and by 
God. In this no one shares but he for whom the Mass is 
said. The amount of the temporal punishment thereby 
remitted is not revealed by God, but we may be sure that 
the satisfaction is of great value and efficacy. This effi- 
cacy is increased if the individual for whom the Mass is 
said is present at it. The learned Marchantius teaches 
this: " Holy Mass is of greater profit to the person for 
whom it is said if he be present at it than if he be absent. 
For although in his absence he receives all the benefit 
which the priest assigns to him, yet he does not derive 
from it the merit to which his presence would entitle 
him.'' 

Here it may be well to mention a fact which is not 
generally known : When any one has Mass said in honor 
of some saint, or to obtain some petition, or to avert some 
dreaded calamity, he asks for the Mass for the special 
intention which he has in his mind, but does not think to 



Holy Mass the Most Complete Satisfaction for Sin. 215 

appropriate to himself or to another person the satisfac- 
tion or merit of that Mass. If the priest also omits to 
do this, and the satisfaction of the holy Mass is not ap- 
plied to any one in particular, it will probably go to the 
treasury of the Church, unless God, in His goodness, ap- 
plies it to those who, through ignorance, have neglected 
to appropriate it to themselves. When, therefore, pious 
reader, thou dost have Mass said in honor of a saint, or 
for thine own intention, see that thou reserve for thyself 
the satisfaction or merit of the Mass. In this way thou 
wilt derive a twofold benefit from it: thou wilt honor 
the saint, and thou wilt discharge some of the debt yet 
due on account of thy sins. And if thou dost have Mass 
said to obtain some favor thy request will be heard if it 
be for the welfare of thy soul, and thou wilt obtain re- 
mission of a part of the temporal penalty awaiting thee. 
Remember this when thou hast Mass said, for it is of no 
slight importance. 

All these considerations ought to inspire us with fresh 
zeal, and make us anxious to hear Mass daily, and on- 
Sundays and festivals, if possible, to hear more than one 
Mass, and thus discharge in this world the penalty of our 
sins. The following example wall show how profitable 
this practice is to us and how well-pleasing to God. 

In his History of Spain Mariana speaks of a Spanish 
warrior named Pascal Vives who had a great devotion 
to holy Mass and assisted daily at one or more. It hap- 
pened while he was serving under the standard of 
the Count of Castile that a large body of Moors, 
who at that time had conquered the greater part of 
Spain, laid siege to the castle of the count. The 
garrison, being totally unprepared to stand a siege, 
were reduced to dire distress, and the count re- 
solved to make a sally with all his men, and risk their 
lives in a desperate attempt to drive back the Moors, 



2i6 Holy Mass the Most Complete Satisfaction for Sin. 

The next morning he heard Mass with all his soldiers, 
and, trusting in the divine assistance, sallied forth against 
his enemies. But Pascal Vives remained in the church 
and heard eight Masses, one after another, praying fer- 
vently that victory might be on the count's side. While 
he thus prayed and his comrades fought, behold ! the 
latter saw Pascal Vives mounted on his charger making 
a gallant onslaught upon the Moors, hewing them down 
on every side. Calling to the soldiers to follow him 
fearlessly, he broke the ranks of the enemy, carried off 
their colors, and wrought great havoc amongst them. 
The contest lasted nearly four hours, only ceasing at the 
time when the eighth Mass, at which Pascal had assisted, 
was ended. The Moors were completely routed. The 
victory was universally ascribed to Pascal's heroic 
bravery, and the count gave orders that he should have 
all the honor of it. But when all was over Pascal had 
disappeared. He was sought for all over the battlefield, 
but nowhere was he to be found. The fact was he had 
stayed in the church, and there he remained almost all 
day, for he was ashamed to leave it, fearing lest the 
soldiers should mock at him for a coward, and the count 
dismiss him from his service. No tidings of the battle 
had reached him, and he did not know which side had 
gained the day. Presently the count, thinking it very 
likely that Pascal had gone to the church to give thanks 
to Almighty God for the victory, bade his followers go 
there in search of him. Pascal was accordingly found 
and brought into the presence of the count and his offi- 
cers. When they all began to compliment him on his 
prowess and say that the victory they had won was, under 
God, to be ascribed to him, he was perfectly astonished 
and knew not what to say. After a short space, interiorly 
enlightened by God, he confessed the truth, declaring 
that he had taken no part in the contest^ but had during 



Holy Mass the Most Cojnplete Satisfaction for Sin, 217 

the whole time been in the church, where he had heard 
eight Masses. The soldiers would not believe what he 
said, persisting that they had seen him with their own 
eyes in the thick of the fray, and had heard him calling 
on them to fight valiantly. 

Then Pascal answered: "If it really is as you say, 
the brave knight who bore my semblance must have 
been my guardian angel, for I assure you I have not 
been out of the church to-day. Praise God with me 
and give thanks to Him from your hearts for having 
sent you an angel, through whose assistance you were 
enabled to vanquish the foe. But learn from this how 
pleasing it is to God that we should assist at Mass, and 
how profitable it is to us, for I am convinced that had I 
not heard those Masses my angel would not have ap- 
peared to you and led you on to so signal a victory." 
In these and other words he exhorted the soldiers to be 
very fervent in hearing Mass. 

It is to be hoped that this incident will have a like 
effect on those who read it and make them for the fu- 
ture more diligent in their attendance at Mass. Above 
all, great sinners who have done little penance should do 
this. We know that so strict is divine justice no sin 
will go unpunished; it must be expiated in this world or 
in the next. Far better is it for thee, O sinner, to atone 
for thy sins of thy own accord in this world than to 
leave it to the just Judge to chastise thee for them in the 
next. And if thou canst not undertake difficult pen- 
ances, choose the easy one of hearing Mass, whereby 
thou canst pay off all thy debts. 



2i8 Mass the Most Sublune Work of the Holy Ghost. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE HOLY MASS IS THE MOST SUBLIME WORK OF 
THE HOLY GHOST. 

TN almost all the previous chapters of this book much 
has been said of God the Father and God the Son, 
and but little of God the Holy Ghost. In order that it 
may be seen to how great an extent the third person of 
the Holy Trinity cooperates in holy Mass we shall devote 
the present chapter to a consideration of His action in 
this central act of worship. It would be impossible to 
estimate rightly, much more to express in words, the good 
that Christianity owes to the work of the Holy Spirit. 
He is the divine charity and mercy, and is ever occupied 
in conciliating divine justice, and saving sinners from 
perdition. The Holy Ghost formed the sacred humanity 
of Jesus Christ of the substance of the Virgin Mary; He 
created His human soul, and united it to the Divinity in 
one person in an incomprehensible manner. He it was 
who brought the work of man's redemption to a happy 
consummation on the day of Pentecost, when He de- 
scended upon the faithful in the form of fire, kindling 
them with divine love, and converting by His grace 
hardened sinners, who were untouched by Our Lord's 
miracles and by His passion. He dwells ever with the 
true believer; and although by many He is dishonored 
and offended, yet He does not altogether abandon them, 
but knocks at the door of their heart, and asks for read- 
mission there. 

All these are great, nay, divine, acts, so that we may 
justly say that holy Mass is the chief and sublimest 



Alass the Most Sublime Work of the Holy Ghost. 219 

work of the Holy Ghost, and for this reason: All theo- 
logians agree that the mystery of the incarnation is the 
greatest marvel the hand of God has wrought, because 
thereby the infinite Godhead was united to the Manhood 
of Christ in one person. This was accomplished through 
the operation of the Holy Ghost; as we say in the Creed: 
** Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost." Although 
this wonder is unspeakably great, yet the miracle worked 
in holy Mass seems still greater, because herein the 
omnipotent Godhead and the perfect humanity of Christ 
are so abased that they are present in the minutest par- 
ticle of the sacred host. 

That the Holy Ghost is the agent in this mystery we 
know from the liturgy of the apostle James. Imme- 
diately before the consecration we find this prayer: " Send 
down, O Lord, we beseech Thee, upon these proposed 
gifts Thy Holy Spirit, that, coming upon them with His 
holy and glorious presence. He may hallow them, and 
make this bread the holy body, and this cup the holy 
blood, of Thy Son Jesus Christ." Almost identical are 
the words employed in the liturgy of St. Clement, pope 
and martyr: "We beseech Thee, O Lord, to send down 
Thy Holy Spirit upon this oblation, that He may make 
this bread the body, this chalice the blood, of Thy 
Christ.'* Both these eminent saints, who were contemp- 
oraries, attribute the transubstantiation of the bread and 
wine, not to Christ, but to the Holy Ghost, and Him 
they invoke to complete the work. For as the Holy 
Ghost operated the incarnation of the Son of God, ac- 
cording to the testimony of the archangel Gabriel: " The 
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the 
Most High shall overshadow thee" (St. Luke i. 35), so 
in every Mass He accomplishes the renewal of this 
mystery. 

This is also indicated by the action of the priest, who, 



220 Mass the Most Sublime Work of the Holy Ghost, 

before making the first sign of the cross over the host 
and chalice, after they have been offered, elevates his 
eyes towards heaven, stretches out both his hands, and, 
joining them again, invokes the Holy Ghost in these 
words: ^' Come, O Sanctifier, almighty, eternal God, 
and bless this sacrifice, prepared to Thy holy name." 
This proves beyond a doubt that the Holy Ghost de- 
scends from heaven to bless and hallow the holy sacrifice. 
Even so St. Ambrose says in his liturgy: " Send down, 

Lord, the invisible majesty of Thy Holy Spirit, as He 
descended of old upon the holocausts of the patriarchs." 

We will now inquire in what manner the Holy Ghost 
accomplishes the transubstantiation. The Abbess Hil- 
degarde says: " On one occasion when the priest, vested, 
went up to the altar I saw a brilliant light, coming from 
heaven, irradiate the whole altar. This light was not 
withdrawn until the celebrant left the sanctuary at the 
conclusion of the Mass. I noticed that when the priest 
got to the Sanctus and began the canon a flame of ex- 
traordinary brightness shot down from above upon the 
bread and wine, illuminating them with its light as the 
rays of the sun make glass to shine. Upon this stream 
of light the sacred elements rose to heaven, and when they 
descended they were transformed into true flesh and 
blood, though to the eye of man they yet appeared to be 
bread and wine. As I gazed upon this flesh and blood 

1 saw the signs of the incarnation, the birth, the passion, 
of Our Saviour reflected in them as in a mirror, and just 
as we know these events to have been accomplished 
when the Son of God was on earth." 

This vision of St. Hildegarde shows us in how won- 
drous a manner the transubstantiation of the bread and 
wine is effected by the penetrating power of the divine 
fire, as by the power of natural fire wood is transformed 
into glowing embers. That which this holy abbess was 



Mass the Most Sublime Work of the Holy Ghost. 221 

privileged to behold occurs at every Mass: a celestial 
radiance surrounds the altar from the beginning to the 
end of Mass, and at the time of the consecration a flame 
of dazzling brightness descends from heaven, and changes 
the species into the true body and blood of Christ, 

Of this we have two beautiful types in the Old Testa- 
ment, It is recorded that, the first time Aaron offered 
sacrifice, ''' The glory of the Lord appeared to all the 
multitude: And behold, a fire, coming forth from the 
Lord, devoured the holocaust, and the fat that was upon 
the altar; which when the multitude saw, they praised the 
Lord, falling on their faces.'' (Lev. ix. 23, 24). The 
same thing happened at the consecration of Solomon's 
temple: ** When Solomon had made an end of his prayer, 
fire came down from heaven, and consumed the holo- 
causts and the victims; and the majesty of the Lord 
filled the house. Moreover all the children of Israel saw 
the fire coming down, and the glory of the Lord upon 
the house; and falling down with their faces to the 
ground, they adored, and praised the Lord." (11. Paral. 
vii. I, 3.) 

In both these instances the holy sacrifice of the Mass 
was typified, in which the Holy Spirit, as fire, descends 
from heaven to change the elements into Christ's body 
and blood. iVnd although we poor mortals have not 
the grace to behold this mysterious proceeding, yet it 
takes place none the less certainly, and has been actually 
seen by some. It is related of the holy bishop and 
martyr Clement that, being sent by the Emperor Diocle- 
tian to the island of Rhodes, where, at the request of the 
bishop, he said Mass, at the time of the consecration 
the sacred host was changed into the semblance of a 
live coal in the sight of all present. A multitude of 
angels were also seen hovering around the host in joyful 
and happy adoration. The miraculous coal glowed with 



222 Mass the Most Subhme Work of the Holy Ghost, 

a brilliance so dazzling that the congregation could not 
bear to look upon it, and fell upon their faces, remaining 
in this posture until after the communion. Not until 
Clement prepared, with great reverence, to consume the 
sacred host did it resume its former appearance. 

Baronius tells us that the same miraculous change 
took place several times when St. Ignatius, the Patriarch 
of Constantinople, was celebrating Mass with special fer- 
vor and recollection. In the Greek Church it was the 
custom to make use of wheaten bread, not hosts, for the 
holy sacrifice. How amazed were all who were hearing 
his Mass to see the bread glowing with celestial efful- 
gence, a sure sign of the presence and operation of the 
Holy Ghost ! For the Holy Ghost is a burning fire, and 
as such He appeared to the disciples on the day of 
Pentecost, to indicate that He is the ardent charity that 
unites the Father and the Son. 

Baronius also relates the following story, which bears 
evidence to the presence of the Holy Spirit in Mass. 
At Formello, near Rome, there was, in early times, a 
bishop who acquitted himself most conscientiously of all 
the duties appertaining to his office, and was most rever- 
ent in his manner of saying Mass. Notwithstanding 
this he was accused by some evil-minded persons to 
Pope Agapetus of having given scandal to his flock by 
using one of the sacred vessels at table. The Pope, be- 
lieving the accusation, caused the bishop to be brought 
to Rome and put into prison. On the morning of the 
third day after his unjust incarceration, a Sunday, an 
angel appeared to the Pope in a dream, and said to him: 
" On this Sunday neither shalt thou nor any other prelate 
say Mass, but only the bishop whom thou hast placed in 
confinement." The Pontiff awoke, and, thinking over this 
dream, said to himself: " Shall I allow a prelate to say 
Mass who lies under so grave an accusation of sacrilege?" 



Mass the Most Sicblime Work of the Holy GhosK 221 

Before answering his own question he fell asleep again^ 
and again heard the same voice saying: ** I told thee no 
one but the imprisoned bishop is to say Mass '* While 
the Pope still hesitated whether he should comply with 
this injunction, the voice spoke for the third time: "Be- 
ware how thou permit any other than the bishop who is 
in prison to celebrate in thy presence to-day." There- 
upon the Pope, in some alarm, sent for the bishop, and 
inquired of him what was his manner of life, and bade 
him give an account of his actions. The prelate an- 
swered only these wordsr "I am a sinner " Then the 
Pope asked: "Is it true that thou didst eat and drink 
out of the vessels consecrated to the service of the altar 
The bishoj.> replied as before: "I am a sinner." As no 
other ansvver could be elicited from him, the pontiff pro- 
ceeded: '*Thou wilt celebrate Mass in our presence co- 
day." And when the bishop, in his humility, begged to 
be excused, he only repeated the command: " Thou wilt 
officiate at a solemn High Mass to-day before ourselves 
and all the cardinals." Upon receiving this express 
order the good bishop expostulated no longer, but pre- 
pared to obey. Attended by many acolytes, he went to 
the altar, and commenced the Mass. When he got to 
the prayer which is said at the time of making the first 
sign of the cross over the host and chalice, " Come, O 
Sanctifier, almighty, eternal God, and bless this sacrifice 
prepared to Thy holy name," he repeated it four times, 
and then stopped. The people grew impatient; at 
length the Pope said: "Why dost thou delay, and repeat 
this prayer so often ? " The bishop answered: " Pardon 
me, Holy Father; I repeated the prayer because I have 
not yet seen the Holy Ghost descend upon the altar. 
May I request your Holiness to bid the deacon leave my 
side? I cannot venture to do so myself." The Pope then 
told the deacon to move to a little distance; no sooner had 



224 Mass the Most Sudlime Work of the Holy Ghost, 

he done so than both the Pope and the bishop behe-ld 
the Holy Ghost come down from heaven, while the cele- 
brant, with the deacon and acolytes, was enveloped in a 
luminous cloud. This miracle convinced Pope Agapetus 
of the innocence and sanctity of the bishop, and he 
much regretted having put him into prison. He re- 
solved for the future not to act so precipitately, and to 
investigate a charge carefully before giving credence to 
it. 

These miraculous appearances are intended to 
strengthen our belief that the Holy Ghost always comes 
down upon the altar to bless the divine oblation. On 
this subject Father Mansi says: " The unbloody sacrifice 
of the Mass is so venerable and sublime that the Holy 
Ghost descends in person to hallow it, while hosts of 
angels stand by and look on with the greatest delight; as 
St. Peter tells us: * The Holy Ghost being sent down 
from heaven, on Whom the angls desire to look.' " (i. 
Pet. i. 12.) 

How unutterable must be the holiness of this adorable 
sacrifice, since the Author of all holiness, the Spirit of 
God, Himself descends to bless, sanctify, and hallow it *. 
How strengthening to the soul, how pleasant to the taste, 
is this bread of heaven, prepared for our nourishment by 
the Holy Ghost ! For the operation of the Holy Ghost 
is no less indispensable, nay, far more so, to the prepara- 
tion of this celestial food than is that of natural fire to 
the manufacture of our daily bread. For the sacred host, 
by the agency of this divine fire, does not become our 
spiritual sustenance alone: it is above all a sacrifice which 
we can offer to God the Lord for His glory and our own 
good. What a precious, what an inestimable, treasure we 
have in it ! How much the Holy Ghost accomplishes 
in this mystery for our temporal and eternal welfare ! 
For, as St. Paul says: ^* The Spirit helpeth our infirmity; 



Mass the Most SMOlime Work of the Holy Ghost, 225 

for we know not what v/e should pray for as we ought, 
but the Spirit Himself asketh for us, with unspeakable 
groanings. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth 
what the Spirit desireth, because He asketh for the saints 
according to God.'* (Rom. viii. 26, 27.) 

The meaning of this passage from St. Paul is that one 
divine Person of the Holy Trinity pleads with the other 
for in the Godhead all the three are one, and equally 
entitled to issue commands and bestow gifts; and be- 
cause, for the sake of distinguishing the Persons, we at- 
tribute principally to God the Father justice, to God the 
Son wisdom, to God the Holy Ghost goodness and 
mercy, St. Paul represents divine mercy entreating divine 
justice not to condemn sinners on account of their trans- 
gressions, but to save them by grace. We are sure that 
the Holy Spirit pleads for us at all times, and no less 
sure are we that He pleads for us in a special manner 
during holy Mass. 

We know this too because at that time the holy 
angels also pray for us, as St. Chrysostom says: " During 
holy Mass it is not mortals alone who cry to God in sup- 
plication; the angels also bend the knee, and archangels 
plead for us." And as the reason of this he adds: " This 
is their acceptable time; the holy sacrifice is at their 
disposal; they exhibit the body of Christ, and intercede 
for the human race." As the angels choose the time of 
Mass because it is a time of mercy, when the anger of 
God is appeased by this all-prevailing propitiatory sacri- 
fice, we may conclude that the benign and holy Spirit 
selects the same moment, that in which Christ in His 
humanity* pleads with the Father, to " ask for us with 
groanings unspeakable " (Rom. viii. 26) that the severity 
of divine justice may be tempered by divine mercy. 

Learn hence how ineffable is thq goodness of the Holy 
Ghost> Who interests Himself in our salvation, and not 



226 Holy Mass Affords Sweetest Joy to the Mother of God. 

only prays for us, but intercedes for us with unspeakable 
groanings. Who could believe this were it not ex- 
pressly stated in Holy Scripture ? Who can now 
doubt that we have a true friend in the Holy Ghost ? 
Let us love and trust in Him, Who is indeed our true 
and faithful friend. And since it is preeminently at 
Mass that He pleads for thee, thou wouldst do well to 
hear Mass sometimes for His special honor and delec- 
tation. 



CHAPTER XVni. 

HOLY MASS AFFORDS THE SWEETEST JOY TO THE 
MOTHER OF GOD AND THE SAINTS. 

'M'EVER in her whole life was there a prouder, a hap- 
pier day for Queen Esther than that upon which 
King Assuerus chose her from among all the maidens of 
his kingdom, with his own hand placed a crown upon 
her head, and made her queen over his vast dominions. 
No less certain is it that Mary, the blessed Mothei of 
God, had no greater glory and joy than on the day when 
her divine Son conducted her into the realm of celestial 
bliss, raised her above all the choirs of angels, and 
crowned her queen of heaven and earth. It is impossible 
to conceive joy and glory greater than this. Neverthe- 
less we are not wrong in affirming that holy Mass affords 
the blessed Mother of God her sweetest joy. 

This statement is supported by the words of Blessed 
Alanus, who says: " Even as Eternal Wisdom made 
choice of one virgin amongst all others, that of her might 
be born the Saviour of the world, so that same Redeemer 
appointed a priesthood to dispense for all time the treas- 



Holy Mass Affords Sweetest Joy to the Mother of God. 227 

ures of His redemption, through the medium of the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass and the Adorable Sacrament of the 
Altar. This it is which constitutes the greatest joy of 
the Mother of God, the greatest felicity of the blessed; 
this is the surest help of the living, the chief solace of 
the departed." 

In this passage Alanus, a zealous servant of Jesus and 
Mary, asserts in no doubtful terms the excellence of the 
Mass, and asserts that naught else gives so great joy to 
the Mother of God. In order to understand this alight 
we must remember that, as theologians tell us, the bliss 
enjoyed by our blessed Lady and the other glorified 
saints is of a twofold nature: it is essential and accidental. 
Essential happiness consists in the beatific vision, the 
knowledge and enjoyment of God, according to the de- 
gree of glory to which the saint is admitted on his entrance 
into heaven. This degree remains the same to all 
eternity; it is impossible for any one to rise to a higher 
or sink to a lower one. Accidental happiness, on the 
contrary, consists in some particular honor or joy which 
some saint experiences when a favor is shown him by 
God, when special veneration, or some acceptable service, 
is rendered to him on earth. For instance, the feast of 
a saint may be kept with great ceremony, and many 
prayers offered to him. This accidental happiness, as it 
is called, the sacred humanity of Christ and all angels 
and saints are capable of receiving, as we know from the 
words of St. Luke: " I say to you that even so there 
shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth pen- 
ance.*' (St. Luke XV. 7.) The joy here spoken of is 
not essential, but accidental; it is renewed whenever a 
sinner is converted, and lost should the sinner revert to 
his evil ways. 

From this explanation we see that Blessed Alanus in 
stating that the Mother of God derives the principal 



228 Holy Mass Affords Sweetest Joy to the Mother of God. 

part of her happiness from holy Mass refers to her acci- 
dental, not her essential, joy. For although there are 
many ways whereby we may do honor to Our Lady and 
afford her pleasure, yet none of the accidental joys we 
thus procure her equals that which we can give her by 
hearing Mass. And why is it that we cannot, by reciting 
rosaries, the Little Office, litanies, psalms, and other 
prayers with the intention of showing her honor and in- 
creasing her joy, do half as much as we can do by piously 
hearing Mass in her honor, and offering to God her 
beloved Son, present upon the altar? It is because in 
the latter case we perform in her honor the highest act of 
Christian worship, and do God far better service than by 
the recital of psahns and prayers. 

Besides this, we give her another and a most accepta- 
ble pleasure by hearing Mass. For since the glory of 
God and the salvation of sinners are what she above all 
things loves and desires, it causes her inexpressible joy 
to see us, by piously hearing Mass, offering to the Holy 
Trinity the worthiest service: praising, venerating, in- 
voking, rejoicing the Most High, presenting to Him the 
most precious of all gifts. She sees us, moreover, wor- 
shipping her beloved Son with steadfast faith, humbling 
ourselves before Him in lowly adoration; with penitent 
hearts striking our breasts, earnestly imploring forgive- 
ness of our sins; reminding God the Father of the pains 
that divine Son suffered, offering His blood for our cleans- 
ing, and assisting at the holy sacrifice with fervor and 
recollection. What could be more desirable, more de- 
lightful, more gratifying to the heart of Mary ? 

The following anecdote, related by the famous his- 
torian Baronius, will serve to show the joy one can give 
the Mother of God by hearing Mass in her honor, and 
how gladly she grants the petitions of those who assist at 
the holy sacrifice for that object. 



Holy Mass Affords Sweetest Joy to the Mother of God. 229 

In the year 998 Robert, the King of France, at the 
head of a large army, laid siege to the Castle of St. 
Germain, not far from Anjou. The besieged made a 
valiant defence, and succeeded in harassing the enemy 
so much that on the sixth day of the siege the king, 
exasperated at their resistance, resolved to take the for- 
tress by storm. On hearing this the garrison were sadly 
cast down; in their distress they appealed for help and 
counsel to a pious Benedictine monk named Father 
Gislebert. He exhorted them to put their trust in 
Mary, and hear a Mass in her honor. This Mass he him- 
self said at Our Lady's altar in the principal church, all 
the people devoutly assisting. The blessed Mother of 
God was not slow to make known the power of a Mass 
said in her honor. While it was being celebrated, a 
dense fog closed round the fortress, completely shutting 
it out from the sight of the besiegers, so that their gun- 
ners could not take aim. The besieged, however, saw 
the enemy as distinctly as ever, and did deadly work with 
their arrows. At length the king, seeing his men falling 
on every side, and fearing lest, if the combat were pro- 
longed, his whole army would be cut off, sounded a re- 
treat, and withdrew in high dudgeon. 

Although miracles of this description are of rare oc- 
currence, yet we may be sure that never is Mary in- 
voked in vain. An appeal to her is always rewarded, 
and is far more efficacious than an appeal to any other 
saint. This was revealed to a Dominican saint by the 
Mother of God herself; he has left it in writing for our 
benefit: 

1. " What Mary asks of God she invariably obtains. 

2. " God withholds His mercy from no one for whom 
Mary prays. 

3. " The world would long since have been destroyed 
had not Mary upheld it by her intercession. 



230 Holy Mass Affords Sweetest Joy to the Mother of God, 

4. " The love of Mary for sinners is greater than 
that of any one human being for another. 

5. " Such is the love of Mary for sinners that, did 
God permit, she would be willing to make atonement for 
each one by daily bearing all the sufferings of the world. 

6. " The least service shown to Mary, were it merely 
the recital of the Angelic Salutation, is worth more than 
an act a thousandfold greater performed in honor of 
one of the other saints. 

7. *^ A single Ave Maria is of more value than any 
temporal gift of body or soul, of life or death. 

8. ^* As the firmament of heaven surpasses all the stars 
in magnitude, so does the loving-kindness of Mary sur- 
pass that of all the saints. 

9. " As the sun exceeds in its beneficent action all the 
other orbs, so does the assistance Mary renders us ex- 
ceed that of all the other saints. 

10. " The veneration shown to Mary rejoices all the 

blessed. 

11. "The veneration paid to the saints may be com- 
pared to silver; that which is paid to Mary may be 
compared to gold; that which is paid to Christ, to 
precious gems; while that which is paid to the Holy 
Trinity is like the stars in splendor. 

12. "Never does a day pass without some souls being 
rescued from purgatory by Mary." 

These twelve privileges or graces are the crown of 
twelve stars which St. John saw encircling Our Lady^s 
head. He who ponders them well cannot fail to feel 
himself irresistibly drawn to the service and veneration 
of Mary. Who would not gladly say a Hail Mary in her 
honor w^hen he hears that she herself declares this short 
prayer to be worth more than any gift of body or soul ? 
Who would not rejoice to enroll himself in her service 
when he is told that what he does for her is of far 



Holy Mass Affords Sweetest Joy to the Mother of God. 231 

greater value than what is done for any other saint ? Let 
us serve her, then, with zeal and fervor, especially by 
hearing Mass, and offering to her the sacrifice of her 
dear Son. For every time Mass is said Jesus is born 
anew in a mystic manner, and Mary's high dignity as 
His Mother is renewed. This Blessed Alanus tells us: 
" Whenever a priest neglects to say Mass, he robs the 
holy Mother of God of a portion of her maternal glory." 
Hence, whenever a priest says Mass, he renews the 
honor due to Mary as Mother of God, because she 
then, as it were, gives birth to her Son anew, and feels 
again the rupture she felt at that auspicious moment. 

HOW HOLY MASS IS THE SWEETEST JOY OF THE SAINTS- 

It will be both profitable and consoling for us to 
know to what extent and in what manner holy Mass can 
benefit the saints, and how it can be heard and cele- 
brated on their festivals to their greater glory. We have 
already seen, in this chapter^ how their accidental joy 
may be increased; it will be well to remind ourselves 
that it is our bounden duty to honor the saints. God 
Himself desires that we should glorify His faithful ser- 
vants. He says: " Whosoever shall glorify Me, him 
will I glorify." (i. Kings ii. 30.) Moreover, the saints 
merit our veneration, because upon earth they shunned 
honors, they humbled themselves and deemed them- 
selves worthy of scorn; they were, too, unjustly de- 
spised, mocked, and persecuted by the wicked; and on 
this account God wills that their innocence should be 
made clear as the day, and they should be praised and 
honored throughout all Christendom, 

Of this we have an instance in Mardochai, wbo, 
although he was a pious servant of God, was persecuted 
by the proud Aman and condemned to death. But 



232 Holy Mass Affords Sweetest [oy to the Mother of God, 

God defeated the evil man's designs, and so directed 
the course of events as to cause them to conduce to the 
public exaltation of His faithful servant. For when 
King Assuerus said to Aman: " What ought to be done 
to the man whom the king is desirous to honor ? Aman 
answered'. The man whom the king desireth to honor 
ought to be clothed with the king*s apparel, and to be 
set upon the horse that the king rideth upon, and 
to have the royal crown upon his head; and let the first 
of the king's princes and nobles hold his horse, and 
going through the street of the city, proclaim before 
him: Thus shall he be honored whom the king hath a 
mind to honor And the king said to him, Make haste 
and take the robe and the horse, and do as thou hast 
spoken to Mardochai the Jew." (Esther vi. 6-10.) 

Now if this heathen monarch caused such great honor 
10 be paid to Mardochai on account of his fidelity, what, 
think you, will be the glory which our infinitely grateful 
God will show, and will command all the company of 
heaven to show, to His faithful servants for the services 
they have rendered Him, both on the day of their 
triumphant entry into the celestial courts, and also when 
the Church throughout all the world celebrates, their 
feasts ? For by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost He 
taught the Church, on the day set apart for the com- 
memoration of His eminent servants and chosen saints, 
to honor and glorify them by prayers, devotions, 
panegyrics, pilgrimages, and processions; above all, 
by the holy sacrifice of the Mass. For thus shall 
those be honored whom the heavenly King desireth to 
honor. 

The best means of honoring the saints is by offering 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass to God for their glory. 
Although the Mass is a representation of Christ's pas- 
sion, and is offered up to Almighty God alone, yet the 



Holy Mass Affords Sweetest foy to the Mother of God. 233 

saints derive joy and glory from it, because it is cele- 
brated in their honor, and fills all heaven with joy. 

And if special mention is made of them by name 
their joy and glory are still further enhanced, and the 
Mass is still more delightful to them» according to the 
testimony of St. Chrysostom: "When a public ovation 
is offered to a king, the officers who have shared with 
him the perils of the war, and have borne themselves 
valiantly, are also mentioned by name, that they may 
likewise share in the glory of his triumph. So it is with 
the saints. They are honored and glorified in the pres- 
ence of their Lord when His passion and death are 
triumphantly represented in holy Mass, and they too 
receive special mention, and the heroic deeds they 
achieved against their hellish foe are lauded and magni- 
fied. Then glory is given to God Almighty^ for the 
might wherewith He fortified them in the strife, for the 
grace by means of which He secured them the victory." 
" One can give no greater satisfaction to the saints " — we 
quote the words of Molina — " than by offering the holy 
Mass to God in their name, thanking Him for the gifts 
He bestowed on them, commemorating their meritorious 
deeds, and offering these to the Holy Trinity in union 
with the sacrifice of the Mass." 

On this subject we read in the revelations of St. Ger- 
trude that *^ On the feast of St. Michael, while present at 
Mass, she offered the adorable body and blood of Christ 
to God, saying: To the honor of this great prince I pre 
sent to Thee, O dearest Lord, this most holy sacrament, 
to the eternal praise of all the angelic host, and the in- 
crease of their joy, their glory^ and their felicity. She 
was then permitted to see in how wondrous a manner 
the Godhead received the sacrifice thus offered, and how 
the angelic spirits rejoiced with a joy so unspeakable 
that, had they not already been in possession of supreme 



234 Holy Mass Affords Sweetest Joy to the Mother of God, 

happinesSp it would have sufficed to make them happy to 
all eternity. For this the angels came, according to their 
order of rank, and reverently gave thanks to the saint." 
This passage has been examined and approved by learned 
monks and theologians, so that the statement contained 
in it cannot be contested. It is not said, be it observed, 
that St. Gertrude offered the Adorable Sacrament to the 
angels, but to God the Father, Who made it one with the 
Godhead, while the satisfaction thus afforded to Him 
was so great that of its infinite abundance the angels re- 
ceived an accession of celestial joy. The same thing 
occurs whenever thou dost offer the holy sacrifice to God 
the Father in honor of some saint. 

In confirmation of the above we will quote a similar 
instance from the same source. Shortly after the death 
of one of the nuns of St. Gertrude's convent at Helpede 
in Saxony, in the odor of sanctity, another religious of 
the same house, hearing Mass for the deceased, said to 
God at the time of the elevation: "I offer to Thee> 
heavenly Father, this sacred host, the body and blood of 
Jesus^ on behalf of our deceased sister; and with it I 
offer to Thee the love of His sacred Heart, which ever 
throbbed for Thee." Thereupon the spiritual vision of 
the nun was enlightened; she beheld her sister in relig- 
ion, who was already in heaven, and who appeared now 
to be invested with a higher dignity, vested in more 
glorious apparel^ surrounded with more splendid attend- 
ants. And the same took place whenever that religious 
made the same offering for the deceased. 

Richly, indeed, was that offering rewarded ! Who 
would believe that the accidental joy of the blessed 
could be thus augmented did we not receive the assur- 
ance on trustworthy authority ? The revelations do not 
state that the soul was raised to a higher place, but that 
it appeared as if she were raised to a higher degree of 



Holy Mass of the Greatest Benefit to the Faithful. 235 

glory. For a higher degree of glory belongs to the es- 
sential joy of the blessed, and, as we have said, that ad- 
mits of no augmentation. Nevertheless the soul in 
question experienced a wonderful increase of accidental 
joy in consequence of the Mass being offered on her 
behalf. 

Hence we may conclude that by offering one single 
Mass we can honor the saints in a manner most accept- 
able to God, and which enhances the felicity they enjoy. 
If, therefore* thou art desirous to glorify any particular 
saint, thy patron saint, for example, hear Mass in his 
honor; and at the elevation of the host offer the Son of 
God to His eternal Father for the greater glory and joy 
of thy patron. Look in the calendar every morning, and 
at Mass say to the saint who is commemorated that day 
that thou wilt hear the Mass in his honor; and at the 
elevation offer the holy sacrifice to God with that inten- 
tion. At the hour of death thou wilt know how much 
merit thou hast gained by this practice. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

HOLY MASS IS OF THE GREATEST BENEFIT TO 
THE FAITHFUL. 

T N speaking of the profit to be derived from holy Mass 
it is difficult to know where to begin or where to end. 
The holy fathers and doctors of the Church cannot say 
enough when they enlarge on the benefits holy Mass 
brings to the faithful. St. Laurence Justinian says: 
" Assuredly no human tongue is capable of telling how 
abundant are the fruits to be derived from the holy sacri- 
fice of the Mass, how great the gifts and graces that flow 



236 Holy Mass of the Greatest Benefit to the Faithful, 

from it." He then proceeds to enumerate a few of the 
most striking of these: "Through the sacrifice of the 
Mass the sinner is reconciled with God, the just is con- 
firmed in his justice. Transgressions are forgiven, vices 
exterminated, virtues multiplied, merits augmented, temp- 
tations overcome." These are, indeed, fruits well worth 
having. 

Father Anthony Molina, in his work on the dignity of 
the priesthood, has many beautiful and forcible passages 
relating to holy Mass that must awaken love and esteem 
for it in every Christian heart. ** There is nothing," he 
says, " so profitable to mankind, so efficacious for the re- 
lief of the suffering souls, nothing so helpful for the at- 
tainment of spiritual riches, as the most holy sacrifice of 
the Mass. In fact in comparison with it all the good 
works which we perform by day or night, from the most 
virtuous motives, are of little or no account." These 
words almost surpass belief, yet what consolation they 
convey to us ! The holy sacrifice of the Mass, if rightly 
offered, is said to outweigh in value all other works, even 
those practices of piety which are performed with real 
devotion, recollection of heart, profound humility, fer- 
vent charity, and purity of intention. The previous 
portion of this book, if read attentively, will have pre- 
pared our minds for the acceptance of this truth; yet 
for its further confirmation a few more witnesses may be 
brought forward. 

Bishop Fornerus, commenting on the psalm Miserere^ 
says: " He who, not being in a state of mortal sin, hears 
Mass devoutly gains more than he who performs some 
arduous work for the love of God, or goes on a distant 
pilgrimage. And no wonder, for the most virtuous of 
good works derive their worth and importance from their 
object, that is, from that which is done by means of them. 
Now what is nobler, more precious, more divine, than 



Holy Mass of the Greatest Benefit to the Faithful, 237 

the sacrifice of the Mass ! '* Let all who seek to acquire 
celestial riches, who desire to do God acceptable service, 
lay to heart this noteworthy and consoling thought. 
Who will not rejoice to hear Mass if he knows that he 
can do nothing better, more meritorious, more acceptable 
to God ? 

Marchantius, writing on the same subject, says: " The 
Catholic Church can do nothing better, more holy, 
nothing more worthy of the most high God, more pleas- 
ing to Jesus and Mary, more gratifying to the angels and 
saints, more profitable for both the just and sinners, more 
advantageous to the souls in purgatory, than offer for 
them the sacrifice of the Mass/* All theologians declare 
the same, and concur in placing holy Mass far above all 
other good works. Do thou let thy practice be in ac- 
cordance with their teaching. We have, however, more 
to say on this subject. 

In the preface to an old missal bearing the date 1634 
we find an exhortation addressed to priests bidding them 
entertain a very high opinion of the excellence of the 
holy sacrifice, and never doubt that every time they cel- 
ebrate it they render God more acceptable service than 
by the exercise of the loftiest virtues, or by suffering all 
conceivable tortures for His sake. Dost thou ask how 
can this be ? It is because Christ exercises every virtue 
in the Mass, and at the same time offers to God His pas- 
sion and death. All the praise, the love, the veneration, 
the worship, the thanksgiving, which Christ presents to 
the ever-blessed Trinity in every Mass far transcends 
all the praise of the angels, the adoration of the saints, 
so far, indeed, that were all the penances, the prayers, 
the good works of apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, 
and all saints offered to the Holy Trinity they would 
be less pleasing to the Divine Majesty than one single 
Mass. 



238 Holy Mass of the Greatest Benefit to the Faithful, 

The most important testimony of all to the profit which 
the faithful derive from holy Mass, the authoritative ut- 
terances of holy Church in the Council of Trent, has yet 
to be given: " We must needs confess that no other work 
can be performed by the faithful so holy and divine as 
this tremendous mystery itself, wherein that life-giving 
victim, by which we were reconciled to the Father, is daily 
immolated on the altar by priests." (Sess. xxii.) Had 
we no other testimony to or proof of the profitableness 
of holy Mass, this alone ought to be sufficient to induce 
pious souls to hear Mass daily. 

Ponder well, O Christian, what the holy Catholic 
Church, infallible in matters of faith, declares to us in 
the aforegoing words. She expressly states, and im- 
poses on our belief, that no other work can be per- 
formed by the faithful so holy and divine as the tre- 
mendous mystery of the Mass. This does not only 
refer to priests, but to the faithful in general. Priests 
can indeed do nothing more holy and divine than 
celebrate Mass; the laity can do nothing more holy 
and divine than hear Mass, serve Mass, join in offering 
Mass, have Mass said for their intentions, follow the 
prayers and unite in spirit with the celebrant. Since 
to do this is of all works the most holy and divine, it 
stands to reason that it should also be the most profitable 
and meritorious. 

Accept, therefore, with thy whole heart, O Christian, 
the wholesome doctrine taught thee by thy mother, the 
Church. Thou canst perform many good works to the 
greater glory of God, in honor of the saints, for thine 
own spiritual profit and salvation, but none so divine, so 
exalted, so pleasing to God and the saints, none so profit- 
able, so salutary, so meritorious, as pious assistance at 
holy Mass. For the Church herself declares that this 
surpasses all other works, as far as the sun surpasses the 



Holy Mass of the Greatest Benefit to the Faithful, 239 

planets in power and splendor, as far as it exceeds all the 
stars of the firmament in its beneficent action upon the 
earth. How much thou wilt have to answer for the times 
when thou hast heard Mass indevoutly, or when thou hast 
for some temporal advantage neglected it altogether ! 

St. Francis do Sales thought so highly of Mass that he 
preferred it to mental prayer, although this is univer- 
sally acknowledged to hold the first place among spiritual 
exercises. Writing to one of the nuns of the Order he 
had founded, soon after her departure to establish a 
monastery elsewhere, he said: '* I beg you, my dear 
daughter, to arrange a chapel before all things, so that 
you may be able to hear Mass daily. If you cannot do 
this in your own house, then go every day to the nearest 
church, since the soul receives strength for the whole 
day if at its commencement she has been brought so 
near to Our Lord, present in the holy sacrifice." The 
nun, who was no other than St. Jane Frances de Chantal, 
wrote in reply: "Do you wish me to interrupt or even 
omit my meditation in order to hear Mass, or shall I 
leave the Mass on week-days in order to make my medi- 
tation ?" The saint answered: " You will find it much 
more useful to hear Mass than to omit it under the plea 
of making your meditation at home; for the corporal 
presence of the sacred humanity of Our Lord, which we 
have in holy Mass, is of far more value than His fancied 
presence to our mind, especially as it is the wish of the 
Church that her children should hear Mass every day." 

Thus St. Francis de Sales teaches us that to hear Mass 
is better and more profitable than mental prayer. Bishop 
Fornerus says the same: ** The pra}er of one who hears 
Mass piously, and offers it to God for the good of his 
soul, is worth infinitely more than other prayers, however 
long and fervent, even the prayer of contemplation." 
And to account for this he adds: " Because of the merits 



240 Holy Mass of the Greatest Benefit to the FaithfuL 

of Christ's passion, which make their power felt by a 
wondrous outpouring of grace and a plenitude of 
heavenly gifts." Consider what is here said, O pious 
soul, and thou wilt find that they are inspired from 
above, and contain most salutary teaching. 

If thou desirest to meditate upon the life and passion 
of Christ, thou canst do this at no more suitable time 
than during the Mass, when all the mysteries of His life 
and passion are renewed in thy sight. Or if thou dost 
desire to place thyself in the presence of Christ, to hold 
converse with Him, there thou hast Him present in per- 
son, both in His humanity and His divinity. Nor will 
the ceremonies of the Mass distract thy attention; on the 
contrary, they will serve to increase thy recollection, if 
thou dost follow the action of the priest and consider 
the significance of the ceremonies. 

Before concluding this chapter we will give a memora- 
ble instance, which is mentioned by several writers, of 
the profit to be derived from holy Mass. 

There was once a poor workingman whose devotion to 
Mass was so great that he endeavored to hear it every 
day. One morning he had risen early and gone to the 
market-place to look out, with some other men, for em- 
ployment, when he heard the bell of a neighboring church 
ring for Mass. He directly left the other men and be- 
took himself to the church, where he heard Mass very at- 
tentively, and implored God to give him that day his daily 
bread. But on returning to the market-place he found 
all the other men had got work, and although he waited 
for some time, no one would give him a job. Presently he 
went back to his home with a heavy heart, for he could 
not help regretting that he had lost a day's work through 
going to Mass. On his way back he was accosted by a 
rich gentleman, who asked him why he was looking so 
sorrowful. The man told him that he had been to Mass 



Holy Mass of the Greatest Benefit to the Faithful, 241 

and thus lost a day's wages. '* Never mind," the stranger 
rejoined, ** go and hear a Mass for me, and I will give 
you what you would have earned in the meantime." 
The poor man went back to the church and heard a 
Mass, and yet another. Then he went to the rich man's 
house, where a good meal was given him, besides a loaf 
and a shilling. For this he returned many thanks, and 
set out once more for his own home quite joyfully. 
He had not gone far before he met a gentleman of 
stately appearance, who asked him what made him look 
so happy. The man related what had occurred, and 
expressed his sense of obligation to the rich stranger. 
But his interlocutor said: "You had not nearly enough 
given you for the Masses you heard; go back to the rich 
man, and tell him he must give you more, or it will go ill 
with him." The poor man therefore returned to his 
benefactor, and delivered the message, at the same time 
describing the fine appearance and distinguished man- 
ners of his new friend. The rich man, thinking that it 
was some saint who had spoken to the workingman, gave 
him a sovereign and bade him say some prayers for him. 
The poor fellow was hastening home to tell his wife and 
children of his good luck, when he was again stopped by 
the same gentleman, who asked him how much had been 
given to him this time. He informed him of the amount 
he had received, and was enlarging on the generosity of 
his benefactor, when the other said: "Go back once 
more, and say to him that if he does not give you five 
pounds he will not be alive to-morrow." The man at 
first refused to make such a demand, but the order was 
repeated in so peremptory a manner that he yielded, and, 
returning reluctantly to his rich friend, related to him 
what he had been told to say. The message alarmed the 
rich man very much, for he had sinned grievously, and 
had not made a clean breast in confession, and rather 



242 Holy Mass of the Greatest Benefit to the Faithful. 

than take the risk of a sudden and unprepared death he 
gave the five pounds that were required of him. That 
same night, while he was asleep, Christ appeared to him 
and said: " I am He who sent that poor man to you; I 
will tell you why I did so : The devil appealed to My 
strict justice to punish you, and called upon Me to pass 
sentence on you, and deliver you into his power, on ac- 
count of your crimes, unconfessed and unrepented of. 
Fortunately for you that poor workingman came between 
you and your doom; by piously hearing Mass, and pray- 
ing so fervently for you, he induced Me to revoke My 
verdict, and give you time to do penance. Wherefore 
confess your sins, amend your life, and be liberal in 
alms-giving." The rich man did all this, and was assidu- 
ous in hearing Mass besides.. Thus holy Mass was more 
profitable to him than all his wealth, since by it he was 
preserved from death, both temporal and eternal, and 
became a changed man. 

This story may suggest the inquiry whether the holy 
Mass can be bought and sold. I answer. Certainly not; 
it would be a transaction like that of which Judas was 
guilty when he sold Our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. 
Yet, it may be said, priests take money for saying Mass. 
They do so, it is true; but the apostle Paul says: " They 
that serve the altar, partake with the altar." (i. Cor. ix. 
13.) The priest takes the money as payment for his 
trouble, not in the least as the price of the merit of spiritual 
profit which he obtains for him who desires the Mass to 
be said; for it would be simony, and a great sin, to think 
spiritual things could be purchased with money. 

Yet if a poor woman were to say to some rich lady: 
^' If you will give me something to buy food, I will hear 
Mass for you to-day or to-morrow," this would be quite 
right and proper, for it would be equivalent to saying: I 
will part with the merit I obtain by hearing Mass, and will 



Increase of Grace Here and of Glory Hereafter, 243 

bestow it upon you. And in this way the poor woman 
would give the lady ten times more than she received, 
even though the sum was a large one. For every one who 
hears Mass may gain for himself no small share in the 
merits of Christ, by means of which he may pay off a con- 
siderable part of the debt due for sin, and purchase 
celestial riches. And if a poor man, of his own free will, 
gives thee this treasure for a trifling temporal recom- 
pense, Thou hast indeed made a good exchange, nay, the 
very best possible. Wherefore do thou often let a poor 
man hear Mass for thee, and by this simple means expi- 
ate thy past errors and increase the glory in store for thee 
in heaven. 



CHAPTER XX. 

HOLY MASS PROCURES FOR US AN INCREASE OF 
GRACE HERE AND OF GLORY HEREAFTER. 

T N towns of any size and importance there is a market 
where on certain days all kinds of provisions and 
useful goods are offered for sale. The Church, nay, 
heaven itself, holds a market daily, and offers merchan- 
dise of the most valuable description to the purchaser 
— nothing less, in fact, than divine grace and celestial 
glory. But here the reader will ask: These things are 
above all precious and costly; how can one find suffi- 
cient money to purchase them? Thou needest not be 
anxious on that point; valuable as that merchandise is, it 
may yet be bought most cheaply, even without any money 
at all. Hear what the prophet Isaias says: " You that 
have no money, make haste, come ye and buy, without 
money and without any price." (Is. Iv. i.) The 



244 Holy Mass Procures for us 

psalmist also tells us that these goods can be obtained 
gratis, for he says: " The Lord will give grace and glory." 
(Ps. Ixxxiii. 12.) He gives us these at all times, but 
seldom with such liberality as at the time of holy 
Mass. But before we enter upon this subject it will be 
well to explain what grace is. 

Grace is a supernatural gift by which man is made just, 
pleasing in the sight of God, and worthy of everlasting life. 
This grace is infused into the soul at Baptism, and never 
leaves it, unless it is obliterated by mortal sin. This grace 
is twofold: there is sanctifying grace and actual grace. 
By means of the first we are brought out of a state of 
mortal sin into a state of grace; from sinners we become 
just, from children of wrath we are made children of God 
and heirs of heaven. By means of the second man 
grows in grace by good works. 

How precious grace is St. Thomas of Aquin tells us: 
" One single grace," he says, " is a greater good than all 
the good things of the whole world." If an angel had to 
state the true value of God's grace, he would be com- 
pelled to acknowledge that the least drop of grace out- 
weighs all the gold, the silver, the jewels, all the wealth 
of the whole wide world. It is difficult to believe this, 
still more to comprehend it, yet it is undoubtedly true. 
For whosoever possesses the smallest degree of God's 
grace is the friend of God; and if he dies in this grace, for 
the sake of it God will give Himself to him as his reward, 
as He spoke to Abram: *' I am thy protector, and thy re- 
ward exceeding great." (Gen. xv. i.) Therefore, since in 
God are all the treasures of heaven and earth, nay, treas- 
ures far surpassing all that are in heaven and earth, it 
follows of necessity that if man, by faithfully cooperating 
with grace, receives God Himself as his reward, he ob- 
tains a hundred thousand times more than he would 
have had if the world with all its riches had been given 
him for his possession. 



Increase of Grace Here and of Glory Hereafter, 2^s 

Furthermore, be it known that a pious Christian, by 
every good work he performs, increases God's grace with- 
in him, and this not merely by great works, but by every 
good work however insignificant, even by every holy 
thought and pious aspiration. All such thoughts, words, 
and works increase God's grace in the soul, and each one 
merits an accession of grace now and a greater reward 
hereafter, according to Our Lord's own words: "Who- 
ever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup 
of cold water only, amen, I say to you, he shall not 
lose his reward." (St. Matt. x. 42.) That is to say, he 
will receive greater joy and glory in heaven, God will 
give Himself to him in more plenteous measure. He 
will grant him to know Him more clearly, to love Him 
more dearly, to enjoy Him more nearly. Now seeing 
that God's grace is earned so easily, and that he who 
corresponds to it obtains so great a reward, who will not 
strive to do what is good, and serve God with all his 
heart ? 

Consider what wonders grace works in the soul. In 
the first place it invests her with surpassing loveliness, 
rendering her so fair and attractive that the beauty of 
the sun, the stars, the flowers, of man himself, cannot 
compare with hers. Could we but see a soul in the state 
of grace we should be forced to admit that in comparison 
with it nothing fair in nature is of any account. God 
Himself takes pleasure in it, and would rather that 
heaven and earth should pass away than that the beauty 
of such a soul should be marred or destroyed by mortal 
sin. Even the least degree of grace is productive of this 
beauty, but it is enhanced and increased by each added 
grace. 

Thus grace gains for the soul the favor of God, and 
causes it to be united to God in a close, tender, and 
familiar friendship. The soul, when beautified by grace. 



246 Holy Mass Procures for us 

is indeed so dear to God that He is pleased to dwell 
with it rather than in heaven itself, provided it makes a 
due return for His love. And even if the soul does not 
do its part, He does not withdraw from it until it sepa- 
rates itself forcibly from Him by mortal sin. Then He 
forsakes it reluctantly, and feels this infidelity more 
deeply than men or angels can conceive. Nor does He 
yet altogether abandon the soul, but stands at the door> 
knocking from time to time, as if asking for readmission, 
as He Himself says: " Behold I stand at the gate and 
knock. If any man shall open to Me the door, I will 
come in to him.'* (Apoc. iii. 20.) 

Since this friendship exists between God and the soul, 
no wonder that of His great liberality He makes it a 
participator in the abundance of His riches. He be- 
stows on it virtue, piety, consolations, good desires, and 
interior joys. He protects and strengthens, governs and 
guides it, nay, He gives Himself to the soul, makes it 
one with Him, as Holy Scripture says: "He hath given 
us most great and precious promises, that by these you 
may be made partakers of the divine nature." (11. Pet. 
i. 4.) Are not the things of which we have spoken 
precious promises indeed, and glorious gifts ? If the 
favor and grace of princes is eagerly sought after and 
highly prized, how much the more earnestly ought we 
to covet and strive to obtain the favor and grace of 
God? 

Finally, the soul is ennobled by the grace of God to 
such an extent that it is made not His friend only, but 
actually His child. If an emperor were to adopt the son 
of a pauper, what an immense honor it would be for the 
child ! But a thousand times greater is the honor con- 
ferred upon the soul whom Almighty God adopts as His 
child ! In amazement at this condescension, St. John 
exclaims: " Behold what manner of charity the Father 



Increase of Grace Here and of Glory Hereafter. 247 

hath bestowed upon us that we should be called, and 
should be, the sons of God." (i. St. John iii. i.) And 
St. Paul adds: '' And if sons, heirs also." (Rom. viii. 17.) 
Oh, what a rich inheritance to be the heirs of God ! As 
it surpasses our power to conceive the infinite greatness 
of God, so does it surpass our power to comprehend 
what an extraordinary honor and grace it is to be the 
child, the heir of God. 

This brief explanation will enable us to understand in 
some measure how noble and how precious a thing divine 
grace is, how well it merits that we should use every ex- 
ertion to obtain it. Sanctifying grace is to be acquired 
by contrition; actual grace, the increase of grace, is the 
reward of every good work which we perform in a state 
of grace. The more excellent that work is and the more 
perfectly it is performed the more and the greater graces 
does it merit. Hence we may infer that great graces 
may be obtained by hearing Mass devoutly, since that is 
one of the very best of all good works, as we have 
already seen. Moreover, all theologians teach that holy 
Mass operates an increase of divine grace and of celestial 
glory. 

Furthermore, they teach that " not the priest alone, but 
those of the laity who have Mass said, or merely assist 
at Mass, can, each in his degree, merit an increase of 
sanctifying grace and of heavenly glory, but this depends 
entirely upon their cooperation." Hence we may con- 
clude, first, that the priest merits an increase of grace 
and of glory by every Mass he celebrates. From the 
m.inuteness of the ceremonial he is bound to observe it 
may be gathered that the merit thus earned is of no 
trifling nature. It is, moreover, increased by the fact 
that the priest does all out of obedience, and the careful- 
ness and accuracy wherewith he performs all that is pre- 
scribed also contribute to augment it. 



248 Holy Mass Procures for us 

Secondly, whosoever has Mass said, either for himseL^ 
or for some other person, merits a large increase of grace 
and of glory, for, since he is the occasion of that Mass 
being said, he participates in the effect of it, and if he is 
in a state of grace he obtains an increase of grace. 

Thirdly, all who hear Mass piously earn for themselves 
a great increase of grace, not only on account of the de- 
votion they manifest, but rather for the sake of the vari- 
ous virtues which they exercise. First of all they 
awaken compunction and sorrow when they strike their 
breast, nor must they do this superficially, but from their 
heart. Furthermore, they exercise the sublime virtue of 
faith, sor they firmly believe that Christ is truly present 
in the sacred host, and that He offers Himself to His 
Father upon the altar on behalf of sinners. This faith 
transcends human reason, and consequently its exercise 
is the more meritorious. As often, therefore, as thou 
dost lift thine eyes to the sacred host, or, supposing thou 
canst not see it, as often as thou dost represent to thyself 
the presence of thy Lord upon the altar, thou dost prac- 
tise a lofty virtue, meriting a great increase of grace in 
life, and after thy death a higher place in heaven. 

Besides this exercise of faith, we perform an act of 
worship as often as we bow down and render to God 
external or interior reverence. Although this is our 
bounden duty, yet it is pleasing to Christ, and He re- 
wards it with the gift of new graces. If, at the time of 
the elevation, we lift our eyes to the sacred host, we 
make an act of adoration most excellent and meritorious; 
and if we offer the sacred body and precious blood of 
Christ we pay Him the highest honor, the greatest ser- 
vice. For this gift is of such magnitude that God is 
thereby laid under an obligation to man. As often as 
we say during Mass: " My God, I present to Thee Thy 
beloved Son, I present to Thee His bitter passion^ His 



Increase of Grace Here and of Glory Hereafter, 249 

cruel death," so often do we practise the virtue of gen- 
erosity towards God, and our oblation merits a fresh 
grace as its recompense. Again, if we say: "I offer to 
Thee, O Lord, this -holy srcrifice for all persons living 
or dead, especially for those for whom I ought to pray," 
this is an act of charity towards our neighbor which 
will be well rewarded. When we make a spiritual com- 
munion, that is, when we desire to receive the body and 
blood of Christ at the communion of the priest, we 
merit a special grace, and our souls will be nourished 
and refreshed. Above all, let us remember the words of 
the Church quoted above: "We must needs confess that 
no other work can be performed by the faithful so holy 
and divine as this tremendous mystery of the Mass," nor 
doubt that, since to hear Mass devoutly is of all good 
works the most excellent, the most meritorious, the most 
divine, we gain thereby a special increase of grace and of 
glory. Moreover, by hearing Mass we make reparation 
to God for the contumely wherewith heretics treat Him 
when they blaspheme the holy sacrifice. 

The fathers of the Church state expressly that God re- 
wards with special graces those who hear Mass. St. 
Cyril says: " Spiritual gifts are freely given to those who 
assist at Mass reverently.'* St. Cyprian: "This super- 
natural bread and this consecrated chalice are for the 
health and salvation of mankind." Pope Innocent III. 
says: " Through the power of the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass all virtues are increased in us, and we obtain a 
plenteous share of the fruits of grace." " Christians 
should never neglect holy Mass," says St. Maximus, "be- 
cause of the grace of the Holy Ghost, of which all who 
are present are made partakers." Fornerus declares 
positively: "The potency of the merits of Christ's pas- 
sion is most forcibly felt in holy Mass, in procuring for 
US graces and gelestial riches in marvellous abundance." 



250 Holy Mass Procures for us 

Thus the fathers of the Church bear unequivocal testi- 
mony to the fact that divine grace is poured out richly, 
copiously, on all who assist at holy Mass. 

To these witnesses another may yet be added Osorius 
writes: " If a father were to give his son the sum of 10,000 
talents that he might trade with them, might not that son, 
with a little industry, make large profits? Undoubtedly 
he would soon become a wealthy man. Now consider 
what vast riches thy heavenly Father bestows on thee in 
holy Mass, that thou mayst be like a merchant, seeking 
good pearls and finding them. God the Father gives thee 
His only-begotten Son, * in Whom are hid all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge ' (Col. ii. 3), and * He that 
spared not even His own Son, but delivered Him up for 
us all, how hath He not, with Him, given us all things ? ' 
(Rom. viii. 32.) Thus, in giving thee His Son in holy 
Mass God the Father gives thee at the same time all His 
merits and the satisfaction He made for sin. He gives 
thee His fliesh and blood, His body and soul, and all the 
treasures which He has earned. Behold what excellent 
gifts are daily conferred on thee, and how easily thou 
mightest become rich with a little industry; that is to 
say, if thou offerest the Son of God, with all His merits, 
to the Father in holy Mass. For as often as thou dost thus 
present the body and blood, the merits and riches, of 
Christ to the Eternal Father, thou countest out to Him, 
so to speak, the coins wherewith thou dost purchase 
heavenly treasures, and no inconsiderable increase of 
divine grace." 

To those just mentioned let the reader add the seventy- 
seven graces and fruits of holy Mass enumerated in the 
third chapter of this book, and he will not hesitate to 
acknowledge that there is no good work of any kind 
whereby so much grace and merit may be acquired as by 
devout assistance at holy Mass, 



Increase of Grace Here and of Glory Hereafter, 2$ i 



HOLY MASS INCREASES THE CELESTIAL GLORY WHICH 
IS TO BE OUR PORTION. 

Oh, how inconceivably great is the celestial glory for 
the enjoyment of which we are created, which we so 
earnestly desire, for which we long and sigh ! How can I 
find language to describe the increase of that glory when 
even the least degree of it is so sweet, so sublime, that, as 
St .Paul says: '^ Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard it, 
neither hath it entered into the heart of man." (i. Cor. ii. 
9.) The Catholic Church does indeed teach us that " all 
the good works of one that is justified merit increase of 
grace and of glory " (Counc. Trent, Sess. vi. c. 24), but 
she does not say, she is unable to say, what amount of 
grace and glory they merit. " Every man increases and 
lays up merit for eternal life as often as he takes pains to 
hear Mass devoutly." Such were the words of Our Lord 
Himself to a saint, and observe. He does not speak of 
those who are devout, but of those who desire and en- 
deavor to hear Mass devoutly, for they too will receive a 
rich recompense of heavenly glory. The reward will not 
be poor and insignificant, but rich and plenteous; as 
Christ says in the Gospel: ^' Good measure, and pressed 
down, and shaken together, and running over, shall they 
give into your bosom." (St. Luke vi. 38.) 

Thus it may be confidently affirmed that by every Mass 
heard with a certain amount of devotion one may gain for 
one*s self a higher degree of glory in heaven. Just as when 
we climb an eminence we reach a greater elevation at 
every step, so each time we hear Mass we rise to a higher 
place in heaven, and the height which \ve attain is greater 
or less in proportion to the fervor of our devotion. The 
higher our place in heaven the nearer we are to God, the 
clearer will be our knowledge of Him, the more ardent 
our love for Him, the more unbounded our enjoyment of 



252 Holy Mass Procures for us 

Him. Each degree we rise will increase our beauty, our 
brilliance, our nobility, our riches, our glory, and the 
esteem in which the saints hold us. This glory is only lost 
by mortal sin; and if lost it can be recovered by contri- 
tion and compunction. Hadst thou heard Mass every 
day of thy life, at what a height of glory would be the 
place destined for thee ! What riches, what felicity, 
would be thine to enjoy ! And if perchance thou hadst 
occasionally heard two or three Masses on one day, each 
one would increase thy glory in just the same degree. 

Hear in what rapturous language St. Paul speaks of this 
in his Epistle to the Corinthians: " That which is at pres- 
ent momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for 
us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory." 
(11. Cor. iv. 17.) Weigh well the meaning of these words. 
It seems almost incredible that a light and momentary 
tribulation should earn for us a superabundant, eternal, 
immeasurable weight of glory. May one not reasonably 
hope that, since St. Paul holds it out as the reward of a 
trial which is light and transient, we shall receive the same 
for pious attendance at Mass ? Wherefore if the way to 
Mass is long and toilsome; if in winter thou shiverest 
with cold; if thou art obliged to rise earlier to hear Mass; 
if the time of Mass sometimes seems long; if thou mus- 
put aside some necessary occupation in order to go to 
Mass, or if thou losest some temporal advantage on ac- 
count of it; if occasionally thou feelest little or no 
devotion while present at Mass — these and similar disa- 
greeables are slight and momentary afflictions, which 
thou must endure for the sake of performing a most ex- 
cellent work. And we may justly draw the conclusion 
that this, that is momentary and light, will work for us 
an exceedingly great and eternal weight of glory in 
heaven, and each time raise us to a higher degree of 
glory. 



increase of Grace Here and of Glory Hereafter, 253 

The following story, related by a Franciscan father, 
will serve to illustrate what has been said on this subject. 
It tells us of a worthy farmer who all his life-long had 
so great a love for holy Mass that whenever he heard 
the bell ring for Mass he straightway left his work on 
his farm or in the woods and repaired to the, church. It 
had been his habit to do this ever since he 'was a boy, 
but at length he began to feel the burden of years, and 
one day, when the way to the church seemed very long 
and tiring, he said to himself: " I am an old man now, I 
cannot walk as I did when I was young; I do not think 
it can be displeasing to God if I no longer go all this dis- 
tance across the fields to the church. When I am at 
home I will obey the summons and go to Mass, but 
when I am out at work I shall quietly go on with what I 
am about." Just as he formed this resolution he heard 
footsteps behind him, and, turning round, he saw an 
angel with a lapful of lovely roses. This heavenly visi- 
tant was so beautiful to look upon that the good country- 
man thought it was the Lord God Himself. Falling on 
his knees, he cried: ^' O my God, whence is this that Thou 
shouldst come to me ! " The angel replied: " I am not 
thy God, but thy guardian angel." *' O kind angel," the 
man rejoined, ** for what reason am I allowed the privi- 
lege of beholding thee ?" ** I am commanded by God 
to follow in thy path," the angel said; " I always do so 
whenever thou dost leave thy work to go to Mass." The 
man asked the reason of this, and the angel answered: 
" For every step thou dost take a rose springs up on 
thy way; I gather these roses, and carry them up to 
heaven. Look," he pursued, showing him the blossoms, 
" I have gathered all these on thy footsteps to-day, so do 
not do as thou proposest, but continue going to church 
as thou hast been accustomed to do from thy youth up, 
If thou dost persist in this laudable practice until thy 



254 Holy Mass Procures for us 

life's end, at thy death I will crown thee with roses, and 
thy throne in heaven shall be decked with roses to thy 
eternal honor and glory." Thereupon the angel vanished; 
the man, his eyes full of tears, kissed the spot on which 
he had stood, and thanked God for this joyful appa- 
rition. Thenceforth it was always present to his mind; 
the beauty of the angel, the delicious fragrance of the 
flowers, created in him so keen a desire for heavenly 
things that the things of earth were distasteful to him. 
He lived but a short time afterwards, his death being 
due more to his ardent longing for heaven than to any 
mortal disease. 

Hear how all the steps that this pious peasant took 
on his way to Mass were counted and rewarded by un- 
fading flowers springing up upon his path. If his at- 
tendance at Mass was so richly recompensed, thinkest 
thou it will not be the same with thee ? This we shall 
know, we may venture to hope, one day in heaven, when 
we shall with him enter upon the enjoyment of our 
eternal reward. 

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. 

Divine grace and celestial glory may also be greatly 
increased by spiritual communion, if it be rightly and 
piously made. Spiritual communion is nothing else but 
a fervent desire to receive Our Lord and be united to 
Him. We may thus receive Him and enjoy His pres- 
ence in a spiritual manner without actually communi- 
cating, to the great advantage and welfare of the soul. 
For even as Christ when on earth both healed many 
sick persons by laying upon them His sacred hands, and 
also restored many to health at a distance, as, for in- 
stance, the daughter of the woman of Canaan, the ruler's 
son, and the centurion's servant, so, while He imparts 
great graces to those who receive Him worthily in the 
Adorable Sacrament of the Altar, He is none the less gen- 



increase of Grace Here a?id of Glory Hereafter, 255 

erous towards those who only receive Him in desire. 
To this manner of communicating He refers in the 
words: "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me 
shall not hunger, and he that believeth in Me shall never 
thirst.'* (St. John vi. 35.) What is it to go to Christ 
but to believe in Him, to hope in Him, to love Him ? 
He who does this, or desires to do this, communicates 
spiritually, and will not thirst to all eternity. Christ can 
bestow His grace upon the soul without the medium of 
the sacraments, and some persons receive more grace in 
spiritual than do others in sacramental communion, if the 
former are actuated by a stronger desire for union with 
Him than the latter. For the more ardent our desires 
the more ample is the grace imparted to us in spiritual 
communion. 

How is this spiritual communion to be made ? Bishop 
Fornerus answers this question: " All those who assist 
at holy Mass, and prepare themselves carefully, are fed 
with the body of Christ in a spiritual manner at the 
communion of the priest; for the potency of the Mass 
is so great that all who unite their intention to the inten- 
tion of the celebrant, and desire to participate in the 
holy sacrifice, will, together with the priest, consume the 
sacred victim, and enjoy the fruits of this spiritual sus- 
tenance." This is a most consoling doctrine for all, 
especially for those who would gladly make a spiritual 
communion if they knew how. The bishop teaches 
them in these words that it is enough to unite their in- 
tention to that of the priest, and desire to communicate 
with him and partake in the graces of the holy sac- 
rifice. That those who do this communicate spiritually, 
when the priest communicates actually, he proceeds to 
show by the following comparison: 

" Just as the different members of the body are nour- 
ished equally with the mouth, although it alone receives 



2^6 Holy Mass Procures for us 

the food, so at holy Mass the faithful, although they do 
not communicate sacramentally, are yet spiritually fed 
with the sacred aliment the priest receives. For it is 
meet that those who serve in spirit with the priest at the 
table of the Lord should also eat with him in spirit. 
Would it not be thought unseemly if the servants who 
waited at the king's table were allowed to go hungry 
away? Even so it cannot be imagined that those who 
assist devoutly at holy Mass would be permitted to de- 
part without refreshment." This comparison affurds a 
good argument to prove that those who assist piously at 
Mass communicate in a spiritual manner. The same 
writer continues: 

" Just as when a grand banquet is given no member 
of the household is left to suffer hunger, so it is at the 
holy Mass, that great supper at which there is no one 
present who does not receive something, unless, indeed, 
he wilfully closes his mouth when Christ holds out to 
him the spiritual food." Again: " As in a cellar wherein 
new wine is stored the very air is so laden with the 
fumes of the wine that it is sufficient to intoxicate one, 
even so graces abound to such an extent in the Mass 
that' they not only dissipate all evil in those who are 
present, but fill them with heavenly sweetness." These 
comparisons show in what manner all who assist at holy 
Mass may receive refreshment from spiritual communion. 

In illustration of what has been said we will give an 
incident which is recorded of another pious peasant who 
was most exemplary in his devout attendance at Mass. 
He used to follow attentively all that the priest did at 
the altar, and in his own simple fashion meditated upon 
the passion of Our Lord. When the time came for the 
priest to consume the sacred host, he felt an overpower- 
ing desire to receive communion also. But as it was not 
customary at that time for the laity to communicate 



Increase of Grace Here and of Glory Hereafter, 257 

more than twice a year, the good peasant said to himself: 
" Alas ! unhappy man that I am, I am not allowed to re- 
ceive my God, I am deprived of the precious fruits of 
this divine sacrament. Thou alone knowest, O sweet 
Jesus, how I long to receive Thee, and be made one 
with Thee. But since the happiness of receiving Thee 
sacramentally is denied me, I beseech Thee, of Thine 
infinite condescension, to feed me spiritually with this 
celestial bread.'* Thus he breathed forth the desire of 
his heart, and at the communion of the priest he closed 
his eyes and opened his mouth, as if he were about to 
communicate. And one day when he did thus, and im- 
agined himself to be kneeling at the holy table, he felt 
a particle of the host upon his tongue. He swallowed it 
reverently, his heart filled with ineffable consolation. 
From that time forth he longed more and more for holy 
communion, and whenever he was at Mass, at the com- 
munion of the priest, a particle detached itself from the 
sacred host and entered his lips. Thus we see God 
reward by a miracle the earnest desire for holy commun- 
ion, and teaching us at the same time how pleasing to 
Him is spiritual communion, and how profitable to our 
souls. 

The Church also teaches us how good and how salu- 
tary is this desire for holy communion, when she says: 
" Those who, eating in desire that heavenly bread which is 
set before them, are, by a lively faith which worketh by 
charity, made sensible of the fruit and usefulness thereof." 
(Counc. Trent, Sess. xiii. ch. 8.) This is as much as to 
say that those who earnestly desire to eat that supersub- 
stantial bread are as truly nourished by it as if they 
actually partook of that sacred food. 



258 Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying, 



CHAPTER XXL 

HOLY MASS IS THE MOST SURE HOPE OF 
THE DYING. 



H 



OW bitter death is none can know but those who 
have experienced its terrors, yet when we watch 
by the dying we see how hard a thing it is to die. Well 
may we say with Aristotle: *^0f all awful things nothing 
is more awful than death "; and this not only because of 
the separation of soul and body, but rather because it 
is the gate of eternity, a summons to appear before the 
tribunal of God's justice. The vivid representation of 
these and other terrors strikes the dying man with such 
anguish and alarm that his heart quakes within him, and 
a cold sweat bedews his body. 

What wouldst thou advise him to do in this supreme 
moment? Whence shall the dying man take comfort, 
lest his courage fail him ? Where shall he find support, 
lest the devil precipitate him into the abyss of despair? 
The counsel ordinarily given is to cling to the infinite 
mercy of God, to trust and steadfastly confide in that. 
But, as St. Gregory tells us: " Let him who has done all 
that in him lies trust to God*s mercy, it will not fail 
him. But let not him who has not done all that in him 
lies cherish this same confidence, for he is only deceiv- 
ing himself." Where is the man to be found who has 
done all that in him lies ? He is truly one among 
thousands. For of whom can it be said that he does all 
the good that lies in his power ? 

If I were asked upon what a dying man might most 
surely place his trust, I should answer that nowhere 



Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying, 259 

could he find more sure ground for confidence than in 
holy Mass, provided that during his lifetime he had loved 
it dearly, heard it devoutly, offered it with a pure inten- 
tion, and assisted at it with regularity. This I can assert 
from the authority of Holy Scripture, for David says: 
*^ Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord/' 
(Ps. iv. 6.) The sacrifice of justice is none other than 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass, which satisfies the demands 
of divine justice by paying the penalty due to sin, and 
expiating the outrage offered to Almighty God by man's 
transgressions. The sacrifices of the Old Testament 
could not do that; consequently they cannot be desig- 
nated sacrifices of justice. 

Therefore when David says: "Offer up the sacrifice 
of justice, and trust in the Lord," he addresses us Chris- 
tians in the spirit of prophecy; admonishing us, and 
especially priests, to offer the holy Mass, the sacrifice of 
justice, as frequently as possible, and then place their 
steadfast hope in God, since they have thereby appeased 
His wrath, and made atonement for sin according to 
justice. We gather this from the context, in which he 
says: '* By the fruit of their corn, their wine, their oil, 
they are multiplied.'' {ibid. 8.) This evidently refers to 
priests, who are anointed with holy oil at their ordination, 
and offer in the sacrifice of the Mass the fruit of corn 
and wine, which by transubstantiation they render an 
acceptable oblation, pleasing to God Almighty, while 
they themselves are thereby enriched in virtue and merit. 
In conclusion David adds: " In peace in the self-same I 
will sleep, and I will rest ; for thou, O Lord, hast singu- 
larly settled me in hope." . {Ibid. 10.) 

These words he places on the lips of the expiring 
Christian, thereby indicating to us what is the chief 
ground of reliance in the hour of death. The Church 
proves this to be so, by adopting these words as her own 



26o Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying, 

when she says of the dead, " May they rest in peace." 
David says: "I will sleep in peace"; the Church says: 
" Grant, O Lord, that they may rest in peace." Where- 
fore let him who in his lifetime has followed David's 
counsel, and frequently, even daily, in union with the 
priest, offered to God the sacrifice of justice, rely confi- 
dently upon the mercy of God, and when his last hour 
comes say with the psalmist: I will sleep the sleep of 
death in peace, trusting to the holy sacrifice of the Mass; 
and I will rest in my grave until the final judgment. I 
will not fear eternal death, for Thou, Lord, hast singu- 
larly settled me in hope. I do not believe that I shall 
be lost forever, because I have so many times offered to 
Thee the acceptable sacrifice of justice, thereby causing 
Thee infinite satisfaction, infinite honor, infinite service, 
infinite delight, infinite reparation for the offences my 
sins have been to Thee. In virtue of this Thou hast 
settled me in hope of eternal life. In this steadfast hope 
I shall fall asleep in the Lord; I shall rest in peace; I 
shall appear before the judgment-seat of Thy justice- 

In this wise may each one prepare comfort for himself 
at the hour of death, and arm himself against pusilla- 
nimity and despair. He will not find that his confidence 
was misplaced. On the contrary, his experience will 
resemble that of a certain pious man of whom we are 
told that, having had all his life long a great devotion to 
holy Mass, and as far as possible assisted at it every 
day, when death came to him he placed all his trust in 
the holy sacrifice, and with this confidence fell asleep in 
peace. His parish priest, to whom he had greatly en- 
deared himself by his piety, felt his loss acutely, and 
offered many prayers for his soul. One day a disem- 
bodied spirit, resplendent with glory, appeared to the 
good priest, and on his asking who it might be, it an- 
swered: "lam the soul of your late parishioner, for 



Holy* Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying, 261 

whom you are praying." The priest asked how it was 
with him in the world whither he had gone. " By the 
grace of God," was the reply, " I am an heir of eternal 
felicity. Although I do not need your prayers, I thank 
you very much for your charity in praying for me." 
" What good work did you perform in your lifetime," 
the priest inquired further, " by which you specially 
merited God's grace and favor ? " ** The principal good 
work that I did," he rejoined, " was my daily and devout 
attendance at holy Mass. It was that which obtained 
for me a happy death and a merciful sentence after death." 
" In what manner did you hear Mass ? " asked the priest. 
" On leaving my house," the soul replied, " I made the 
sign of the cross, and on my way to the church I said a 
Fater for grace to hear Mass with right dispositions. 
When I entered the church, I knelt down before the 
crucifix, and recited five Paters and five Aves in honor 
of the five wounds of Christ. Furthermore, during the 
whole of the Mass I imagined myself on Calvary, with 
my crucified Redeemer before my eyes. At the eleva- 
tion I humbly adored the sacred host, and offered myself 
body and soul to my God. Such was my daily practice, 
for which I now, through the merits of Christ's blood and 
wounds, receive an unspeakably great reward." Having 
said this, the soul disappeared from sight, leaving the 
good priest greatly edified and consoled. 

This beautiful story is well adapted to encourage the 
pusillanimous, and strengthen their hope of eternal bliss. 
For there is nothing so sure and certain on which we 
can rely in the hour of death as daily and devout assist- 
ance at holy Mass, and I will explain why this is so. 
Our religion teaches us that there is nothing wherein we 
can hope more firmly or trust more fully than in the 
merits of Christ's death and passion. These are truly 
present in holy Mass; they are witnessed by all who 



262 Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying. 

stand around the altar; they are invoked, adored, offered 
by all who hear Mass aright. Nay, more, they are actu- 
ally and freely applied to the souls of all; and every one 
in the congregation, unless he be in mortal sin, may 
claim them as his own. Thus he who trusts in holy 
Mass trusts in the merits 0/ Christ, in His sacred passion 
and precious blood. 

But, it may be urged, in confession and communion 
the merits of Christ are applied to the soul; consequently 
we may put our trust in the sacraments as well as in the 
holy sacrifice. To this I answer: There is a great 
difference between approaching the sacraments and 
offering the sacrifice of the Mass. The former must be 
received v/orthily; that is to say, real contrition is 
required for confession, true devotion for communion. 
He who approaches the sacraments without these dis- 
positions, far from partaking of the merits of Christ, only 
burdens his soul with a fresh sin. And since only by a 
divine revelation can a man know whether he has 
received the sacraments worthily, no one can place his 
confidence in them; far from it; we must always tremble 
lest we should have received them unworthily, and 
thus be guilty of mortal sin. But in order to hear Mass 
one need not be in a state of grace, for, as we have 
already shown, if a man hears Mass in a state of mortal 
sin, he does not commit another sin; on the contrary, he 
receives the grace of conversion if he open his heart to 
divine influences. In fact, he is not wrong in hoping that, 
in virtue of the precious victim that is offered, God will, 
of His pure bounty, show him mercy. And he who, not 
being in a state of mortal sin, hears Mass, though w^ith no 
great fervor, not only commits no sin, but is warranted in 
trusting confidently that, through the sacrifice of the body 
and blood of Christ, he will obtain an increase of grace 
and remission of a part of the penalty due to his sins. 



Holy Mass the Mast Sure Hope of the Dyhig. 263 

An objection may, however, here be made by the 
reader: It is true that every man must, at his death, 
firmly trust in the sufferings and death of Christ, since 
Christ died for this end, namely, that He might blot out 
our sins and preserve us from eternal perdition. It is, 
therefore, upon His sufferings and death, rather than 
upon holy Mass, that we should place our confidence. I 
answer: Most assuredly all our hope is in Christ's passion 
and death, provided the fruits and merits of His suffer- 
ings are applied to our souls; if not, it is in vain that we 
trust in them. What does it profit the reprobate sinner 
that Christ suffered and died for him if in spite of this 
he is damned ? And why is he damned ? ' Because the 
merits of Christ's passion have not been applied to him; 
and the reason why they have not been applied to him, 
is because he was not worthy of it. How, then, can w^e 
make ourselves worthy ? By true compunction, by a 
right reception of the holy sacraments, by good works, 
above all, by piously saying or hearing Mass. For 
holy Church bids us know that " the fruits indeed of that 
bloody oblation, the sacrifice of the cross, are received 
most plentifully through that unbloody one, the sacrifice 
of the Mass." (Counc. Trent, Sess, xxii. ch. 2.) And in 
the preceding chapter she states that the holy Mass was 
instituted in order " that the salutary virtue of the sacri- 
fice upon the cross might be applied to the remission of 
those sins which we daily commit." Therefore, seeing 
that the merits of Christ are liberally imparted and appro- 
priated to us in holy Mass, it stands to reason that upon 
it we should build our hope. 

Thus every one whose habit it has been to assist fre- 
quently, gladly, reverently at holy Mass may take 
comfort to himself at his death from the consciousness 
that by offering to God so many Masses he has rendered 
Hini excellent and acceptable service and an oblation of 



264 Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying. 

great price; that he has daily in all humility implored 
pardon, and offered the abundant merits of the Saviour 
in atonement for his sins; nay, more, the Son of God has 
pleaded with him and for him in every Mass, giving His 
precious blood for his redemption. 

He whose hope rests on these grounds does not trust 
in himself, or in his own merits, but in Christ, in whose 
intercession and satisfaction it is granted him to partici- 
pate in holy Mass. He trusts, therefore, in the passion 
of Christ, renewed in holy M^ss; in the blood of Christ, 
mystically sprinkled upon his soul in holy Mass; in the 
merits of Christ, imparted to him, won by him, in holy 
Mass. He trusts in the great oblation offered by the 
hands of the priest, gratefully accepted by the Divine 
Goodness; he trusts in the prayers offered by the priest, 
by Christ Himself, to God the Father for his salvation. 
On such stable foundations as these we may, we will, rest 
our hope. 

This hope is so certain that the learned Sanchez 
is warranted in saying: "We derive from holy Mass so 
steadfast a hope of the future life that supernatural faith 
is required in order to believe it at all." In other words, 
he who fully recognizes the tremendous power of the 
holy Mass, and the firm hope of salvation it affords us, is 
so overwhelmed with astonishment that he could not 
believe it were it not that God enlightens his -mind by 
the light of the Catholic faith. This was acknowledged 
by the holy fathers, who, on the approach of death, 
regarded the devout celebration of Mass as their best 
preparation for encountering the last enemy. 

Baronius relates of St. Theodore Studita, a valiant 
champion of the faith, who lived about 826 a.d., that 
before his death he was so worn by sickness that he 
resembled a corpse more than a living man. When the 
hand of death was already laid upon him, he implored of 



Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dyhig, 265 

God one last favor, that his life might be so far pro- 
longed as to allow of his saying Mass once more, as 
a preparation for the final conflict. His prayer was 
granted; he rallied and recovered strength sufficiently 
to rise from his bed, and, to the amazement of all about 
him, walk unaided to the church. He said Mass with 
the utmost devotion, all present being moved to tears. 
This was his viaticum, for when, at the conclusion of the 
Mass, he returned to his chamber and laid down once 
more, he gently fell asleep in the Lord. 

Baronius also mentions, in speaking of Tarasius, Patri- 
arch of- Constantinople, that even when prostrated by 
severe illness he could not be kept from saying Mass 
every day. Inflamed by divine charity, he forced him- 
self to disregard acute sufferings and to the last day of his 
life he continued to stand at the altar, thereby meriting 
a holy death and a happy eternity. 

Many priests bear this in mind when they offer the holy 
sacrifice day by day, that they are making the best prepa- 
ration to meet death. Well is it for them if they perse- 
vere unto the end in this holy practice; for the super- 
natural power of the Mass will fortify them mightily against 
the assaults of the evil enemy and will preserve them 
from eternal perdition. St. Gregory (Pope) gives them 
this assurance: " The holy sacrifice of the Mass is a safe- 
guard from eternal damnation. If, moreover, the arch- 
angel Raphael could say: *Alms delivereth from death, 
and the same is that which purgeth away sins and maketh 
to find mercy and life everlasting' (Tob. xii. 9), how much 
more can it be said of the all-prevailing sacrifice of the 
Mass that it rescues the departing soul from the powers 
of evil, cleanses it from sin, obtains for it mercy, and 
gives it a portion in life eternal." 

Finally, listen to the magnificent promise made to all 
whose aim it is to hear Mass as often as possible; Christ 



266 Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying, 

Himself is speaking to one of His saints: *^ I declare to 
thee that I will be to him who has assisted at Mass dili- 
gently and devoutly comfort and protection in the hour 
of death ; and whatever the number of Masses he has 
heard with devotion on earth, such shall be the number 
of blessed spirits whom I will send to attend upon his 
departing soul." Oh, what consolation does this promise 
convey to us ! Who would not under such conditions 
gladly assist at Mass ? We are not, it is true, required to 
believe these words as an article of faith, but the revela- 
tions from which they are taken have been approved by 
the Church and believed in by the faithful for six hun- 
dred years. 

PRAYER. 

O Lord Jesus, if the promise Thou madest to Thy 
saints is to be fulfilled in my case, I shall when my last 
hour comes say with David: " The Lord is my light and 
my salvation, whom shall I fear ? The Lord is the pro- 
tector of my life, of whom shall I be afraid ? " (Ps. xxvi. 
I.) For if, according to Thy word. Thou sendest me at 
my death as many saints to befriend and protect me 
against my hellish foe as I have heard Masses with devo- 
tion, I need not fear the hosts of hell, for one single 
saint is able to put to flight an army of demons. Where- 
fore, I beseech Thee, most bountiful Jesus, do as Thou 
hast said and let not my hope be put to confusion. In 
order to render myself deserving of what Thou dost 
promise, I pledge myself to hear Mass devoutly every day, 
if possible, and offer it by the hands of the priest for Thy 
greater honor and glory. 

Thus may the soul in hope and confidence in the effi- 
cacy of holy Mass depart out of this world and stand 
without fear before the judgment-seat of Christ. What, 
thinkest thou, will befall her there ? 



Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying, 267 

St. Boniface, Archbishop of Mayence, tells us something 
of this in a letter which he wrote to his sister. A certain 
brother in one of the monasteries then existing came to 
life again after his death, and related to St. Boniface 
what had happened to him after leaving this world: 
" When I was brought before the tribunal of God, all the 
sins of which I had been guilty rose up before me in 
hideous shape and made themselves known to me one 
after the other : I am the vainglory wherewith thou 
didst exalt thyself before thy fellows. Another said: I 
am the spirit of lying which often made thee fall. A 
third: I represent the idle words which thou didst often 
utter. In me, said a fourth, behold the foolish thoughts 
in which thou didst indulge both at church and elsewhere. 
And thus there passed before me in succession all the 
sins which through negligence, forgetfulness, or ignorance 
I had omitted in confession, accusing me vehemently, 
crying out against me with harsh and threatening tones. 
The devils who were present likewise bore witness 
against me, reminding me of the place and of the time 
of each and every sin. Afterwards the few good works 
I had done came up in their turn, one saying: I am the 
obedience which thou didst render to thy superiors. 
Another: I personate the fasting wherewith thou didst 
mortify thy flesh. The next: I represent the prayers 
which thou didst send up to heaven. In this manner 
one good work after another appeared for my consola- 
tion, the angels testifying to each one and extolling each 
one with words of praise.'* 

That which happened to this pious brother, of whom 
St. Boniface gives a long account, will surely happen to 
thee, O reader, to me, and to all men on their exit from 
this world. The sins thou hast committed will rise up 
before thine eyes in appalling array; the good works thou 
hast performed will also appear to console and encour- 



268 Holy Mass the Most Sure Hope of the Dying. 

age thee. But if thou hast been diligent and devout in 
hearing Mass thou wilt behold a band of fair spirits 
advance towards thee, who will dispel thy fears and re- 
assure thy heart, saying: " Recognize in us the Masses 
thou didst hear on earth; we will go with thee into the 
dread presence of thy Judge; we will speak in thy de- 
fence; we will show how deep was thy devotion, how 
many the sins thou didst expiate and the penalties 
thou didst cancel. Be of good courage; we will ap- 
pease the wrath of thy Judge and implore mercy on 
thy behalf." Oh, what a relief to the poor, afflicted soul 
to meet with such friends to intercede for him with the 
strict Judge ! 

Furthermore, let us hope that thy experience will be 
similar to that recorded of the Blessed Nancker, Bishop 
of Breslau in the thirteenth century. This prelate was 
distinguished by his great love for holy Mass, which 
induced him to be present, if possible, at all the Masses 
said every day in his cathedral. Just at the time when 
he lay dying a pious matron of the city heard the 
voices of angels singing in such sweet and melodious 
strains that she thought herself transported to paradise. 
While she was wondering within herself what was the 
cause of this rejoicing, a voice said to her : " The soul 
of Bishop Nancker has left the body and is being carried 
by the angels to heaven." The good woman then asked 
in what way the bishop had merited this great honor 
and privilege. . And the same voice replied: " Through 
the great affection and veneration he had for holy Mass." 
An example such as this ought certainly to encourage 
us in going to Mass. The pious bishop was taken up to 
heaven without passing through purgatory; nay, more, he 
was carried up by the angels in triumph with glad and 
jubilant songs. And why? Chiefly because of his great 
devotion to holy Mass; he had thereby paid all he Qwed 



Holy Mass the Unfailing Succor of the Departed, 269 

to divine justice and merited a glorious entry into the 
courts of heaven. If thou wouldst escape the purgatorial 
fire and obtain a high place in heaven, imitate his ex- 
ample and be zealous in hearing Mass. And if it is not 
possible for thee to hear many Masses, as he did, at 
least do so in desire, and God will accept thy good inten- 
tion and grant thee a happy end. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

HOLY MASS IS THE UNFAILING SUCCOR OF 
THE DEPARTED. 

T T is quite impossible for us to imagine the cruel tor- 
ments endured by the souls in purgatory. The 
fathers of the Church tell us that they are terrible in the 
extreme. St. Augustine says that the fire which purifies 
the elect is of the same nature as that which torments 
the damned. This fire is fiercer than any we have seen, 
or can conjecture, on earth. If we had no other testi- 
mony than this to the terrible character of the purgato- 
rial fire, it would suffice to make us believe in its awful 
agony, and tremble at the thought of it. St. Augustine 
proceeds to describe it further: " Although this fire,*' he 
says, " is not eternal, it is marvellously intense, and in- 
flicts worse pain than any ever suffered in this world. 
No physical suffering can equal it, not even the fearful 
tortures the martyrs endured." Now if, after hearing 
this, we read in the lives of the saints of the cruel tor- 
tures they underwent, we may form some faint concep- 
tion of the awful nature of the pains of purgatory. 

According to St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, it 
would be preferable to suffer all imaginable anguish to 



270 Holy Mass the Unfailing Succor of the Departed. 

the end of time than to pass one day in purgatory. My 
God, how intolerable those pains must be if an unhappy 
soul suffers more in one day than a man could suffer 
from now until the day of judgment ! St. Thomas of 
Aquin declares that a single spark from the flames of 
purgatdry is worse than all the most dreadful tortures of 
this life. Terrible words, almost surpassing our powers 
of belief ! Alas, what is to become of us, wretched 
sinners, if after our death we are plunged into those 
scorching flames? What intense suffering, my God, is 
in store for us then ! And yet not the slightest doubt 
can be entertained that, unless we endure these torments, 
we cannot enter heaven; for we are not holy and perfect: 
far from it, we are full of evil desires, and are soiled 
with the stains of sin. 

Many more passages from the fathers might be quoted 
concerning the pains of purgatory, but we will content 
ourselves with the words of St. Bernadin, who says: 
" There is as much difference between our material fire 
and the fire of purgatory as between a painted fire and a 
real fire.'* St. Magdalen of Pazzi, who several times had 
a vision of purgatory, and even descried her own brother 
there, said that a large fire on earth appeared like pleas- 
ure-grounds in comparison to the fires of purgatory. 
This forcible comparison is enough to give us some 
idea of the agony suffered in purgatory, and to urge us to 
make atonement for our sins now, that we may not have 
to expiate them hereafter in the torturing flames. It 
ought also to awaken within us heartfelt compassion for 
the holy souls who at the present time are enduring the 
terrible torture of that fiery prison, and on that account 
deserve our deepest commiseration. 

There are many different ways of helping the suffering 
souls and delivering them from purgatory; but none of 
these is so sure and so effectual as the holy sacrifice of 



Holy Mass the Unfailing Succor of the Departed, 271 

the Mass. The Church, speaking by the Council of 
Trent, declares this to be the case: *' This (Ecumenical 
Synod teaches that the souls detained in purgatory are 
helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by 
the acceptable sacrifice of the altar." (Sess. xxv.) This 
is laid down as an article of faith, which no man can 
gainsay. The same was asserted two centuries previ- 
ously by the angelic doctor St. Thomas: ^' By no other 
oblation can the souls in purgatory be more speedily 
released than by the sacrifice of the Mass." 

The reason of it is this: In the Mass not only do the 
priest and the congregation pray fervently for the deliv- 
erance of the holy souls, but at the same time they offer 
to God the full amount of the debt yet owing to divine 
justice, and thus appease His just anger. Everybody 
will understand that if any one does not merely ask that 
a debtor may be released from prison, but also pays 
what he owes, the prisoner will at once be set free. The 
holy souls are in the grace of God; they have made their 
peace with Him in the Sacrament of Penance. They are 
still captives in that awful, fiery prison on account of the 
punishment due to their sins, and the stains which still 
cleave to them. If, moved by compassion, thou dost 
plead for them, and bestow on them the merit of thy 
prayers, thou wilt, it is true, discharge a part of their 
debt, but not sufficient to effect their release. The 
Judge Himself has passed on them this terrible sentence: 
"Amen, I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence 
till thou repay the last farthing." (St. Matt. v. 26.) 
Learn from these words the pitiless severity of Our Lord, 
since He declares He will not forgive one miserable 
farthing to the debtor who owed Him a thousand talents, 
and who has paid off the whole amount with the excep- 
tion of that one last farthing. But if thou hearest Mass 
for one poor soul, and offerest it to divine justice with 



Tjl Holy Mass the Unfailing Succor of the Departed, 

that intention, rest assured that thou wilt pay at any rate 
a considerable portion of his debt. 

From what amount of punishment the soul is freed by 
one Mass is uncertain, for God has not made it known, 
and opinions are divided about it. One thing, however, 
admits of no doubt, namely, that a Mass said or heard 
in one's lifetime has much more satisfactory value 
than one said after death. According to St. Anselm, 
a single Mass in one's lifetime is equivalent to many after 
one's death. How are we to account for this ? 

(i) Every Mass which a man says or hears obtains 
for him an increase of glory in heaven; this is not the 
case when Mass, or even hundreds of Masses, are offered 
for him after his death. 

(2) If thou hearest Mass, or hast Mass said for thee, 
when in a state of wrath, God will perchance for the sake 
of that Mass bring thee to a knowledge of sin, and grant 
thee the grace of contrition, and thus thou mayst return 
to a state of grace; this would be impossible after death. 
For if, neglecting Mass, thou wert to die in mortal sin, 
no number of Masses offered for thee could procure thy 
return to a state of grace. 

(3) All the Masses which thou hearest, or which are 
said for thee, will await thee at thy death: they will go 
with thee to the judgment-seat, they will plead for 
mercy for thee, and if they do not preserve thee alto- 
gether from the cleansing flames they will at any rate 
shorten the time of thy detention. But if the Masses 
are not to be said until after thy death, thou wilt have 
to await in anguish the alleviation they will bring. 

(4) If in thy lifetime thou dost give an alms to have 
Mass said for thee, the money comes out of thy own 
pocket, and involves some sacrifice on thy part, freely 
made to thy God. But the dead do not spend their 
own money: it belongs to them no longer, but to their 



Holy Mass the Unfailmg Succor of the Departed. 273 

heirs. Wherefore it is to be feared that the Masses for 
which money is bequeathed are but of little value to 
him for whom they are said. 

(5) Finally, one Mass said in thy lifetime will do more 
to free the soul from the punishment of sin than many 
Masses after death. For our sojourn in this world is a 
time of grace, afterwards comes the time of just retribu- 
tion; now it will be far easier for us to make our peace 
with our Judge than it will be hereafter. A slight pen- 
ance voluntarily performed in this world has more value 
in the sight of God than compulsory penance of much 
greater severity in the world to come; just as we value 
a small piece of gold more than a large lump of lead. 

The following examples testify to the immense effi- 
cacy of holy Mass in mitigating or remitting altogether 
the pains of purgatory. 

Breidenbach speaks of a certain citizen who shortly 
after his death appeared to one of his servants, wrapped 
in flames, and, telling her that he was suffering unutter- 
able torments, begged her to bid his son have some 
Masses said for him. The son had three Masses said 
directly, and the servant, who assisted at them, beheld 
the spirit of her deceased master present on his knees. 
At the conclusion of the three Masses he appeared to 
her again, and desired her to thank his son in his name, 
and inform him that he had been sentenced to five years 
in purgatory. In consequence, however, of the three 
Masses and the suffrages of the faithful which were 
offered for him four years and four days of punishment 
had been remitted to him. 

In the annals of the Cistercian Order it is recorded 
that in the time of St. Bernard of Clairvaux a lay 
brother who had died appeared to one of the fathers in 
the night after his demise, saying: *' Come with me, 
and see the dreadful torments which by divine justice I 



274 Holy Mass the Unfailing Succor of the Departed, 

am condemned to suffer." He then led him to the edge 
of a deep, fiery abyss, and told him that he was con- 
stantly thrown into that abyss by the devils, who treated 
him with such barbarity that he would rather be ill- 
treated a hundred times over by men than once by the 
devils. The next morning the pious father who had 
witnessed this related it to St. Bernard. He immedi- 
ately called all the monks together, depicted to them 
the unhappy condition of their deceased brother, and 
bade them do their utmost by their prayers and Masses 
to appease the anger of God, and rescue the soul of 
their brother from the power of the demons. The 
monks did so, and a few days later the soul of the de- 
parted brother appeared again to the same father, this 
time with a joyous countenance. On being asked how 
it now was with him, he replied: *^ Thanks be to God, I 
am now free from pain." The father inquired by what 
means he had been delivered: ^^ Come and see," his 
visitant answered. Then conducting him into the mon- 
astery chapel, where several priests were offering the 
holy sacrifice with great devotion, he uttered these re- 
markable words: " Behold the weapons of God's grace, 
whereby my deliverance was effected. This is the 
citadel of divine mercy, the power of which cannot be 
overcome. Behold the wondrous victim. Who takes 
away the sins of the world. I tell you of a truth noth- 
ing can resist the weapons of divine grace, the omnipo- 
tence of divine mercy, the efficacy of the salutary victim, 
but the hardened heart of the unrepentant sinner." 
Thereupon the apparition vanished. The good father 
told the rest of the community about the release of their 
suffering brother and the great potency of the holy 
sacrifice, inspiring them all with more fervent apprecia- 
tion and love of holy Mass. 

These examples should teach us to be diligent in 



Holy Mass the Unfailing Succor of the Departed. 275 

prayer for our departed friends; for it is not as easy for 
them to gain an entrance into heaven as we imagine. If 
we cannot have Mass said for them, we may at any rate 
hear Mass as often as possible for them, and ask others 
to do the same in their behalf. A good man once told a 
poor widow who complained to him that she was unable 
through poverty to have Mass said for her deceased hus- 
band: "Go to church and hear several Masses, and 
offer them to God for your husband; very probably this 
may do more to help him than if a Mass was said for 
the repose of his soul." This is good advice to give to the 
poor who cannot afford to have Mass said. For although 
it is undeniably more to have Mass said than merely 
to hear it, yet each time we hear Mass for some suffering 
soul its pains are mitigated, and it is sprinkled with the 
blood of Christ in virtue of the oblation offered to God. 

Of this we have a type given us in the Old Testament, 
inasmuch as God says: " I have given you the blood, that 
you may make atonement with it upon the altar for your 
souls, and the blood may be for an expiation of the soul." 
(Lev. xvii. 11.) St. Thomas, commenting on this pas- 
sage, says: " In these words it is foretold that the sacri- 
fice of the body and blood of Christ is of avail for the 
souls in purgatory." For if under the Jewish law the 
blood of the holocaust was for the cleansing of the soul, 
how much more will the precious blood of Christ, offered 
upon our altars, purify our souls, and the suffering souls 
besides, from every stain, and deliver the captives from 
their fiery prison. 

At the time when this precious blood was shed upon 
the cross all the souls detained in purgatory were set 
free, according to the words of the prophet Zacharias, 
which he addresses to the Saviour: " Thou also by the 
blood of Thy testament hast sent forth Thy prisoners 
out of the pit, wherein is no water." (Zach. ix. 11.) In 



276 Holy Mass the Unfailing Succor of the Departed, 

this passage the prophet declares that the general re- 
demption of the souls in limbo was to be ascribed to the 
blood of Christ shed for them. In what terms shall we 
speak of the power of holy Mass, wherein the blood of 
the new and eternal testament, the same precious blood, 
is continually shed for the remission of sins ? Who can 
doubt that it is all-prevailing to refresh, to cleanse, to re- 
lease the holy souls ? Never was a cooling draught so 
grateful to the parched lips of the fever patient as the 
precious blood of Christ is to the souls in purgatory, 
when shed for them and mystically sprinkled upon them 
in holy Mass, in its power to cool, refresh, cleanse, and 
ransom them. 

An incident from the life of Blessed Henry Suso of the 
Order of St. Dominic may aptly be introduced here. It 
is related of him that when making his studies at Cologne 
he entered into an agreement with a priest of his Order that 
whichever should outlive the other should say a certain 
number of Masses for the repose of his friend's soul. After 
his studies were ended Father Suso remained at Cologne, 
while his friend was sent into Swabia, where a few years 
later he died. On the news of his death reaching Father 
Suso he remembered his promise, but was unable imme- 
diately to fulfil it. However, he prayed very earnestly for 
his friend, fasted, and took the discipline in his behalf. 
Before many days had passed the deceased appeared to him 
in great affliction and said: " False friend that thou art, 
why hast thou not accomplished the promise thou madest 
to me ? " Blessed Suso, startled and alarmed, replied : "" Do 
not be angry with me, O my friend; I have really been 
prevented from saying the Masses as yet, but I have 
offered many prayers; I have fasted and chastised my 
body for thee.'' The apparition answered: " Thy pray- 
ers are not powerful enough to deliver me out of the tor- 
ments I endure. The blood of Jesus Christ, consecrated 



Holy Mass the Ufif ailing Succor of the Departed. 277 

and offered up in holy Mass, alone avails to set me free. 
If thou hadst said the promised Masses, by this time I 
should be released from my prison; it is entirely thy 
fault that I am still a prey to the devouring flames." 
This and yet more in the. same strain did the unhappy 
soul say to Father Suso; then he left him, overwhelmed 
with grief and sorrow. As soon as he had recovered 
himself a little he hastened to his superior, narrated to 
him what had occurred, and begged permission to set 
aside the Masses prescribed for him to say in order that 
he might fulfil his promise to his friend. When this had 
been done, the soul appeared to him once more and in- 
timated to him that he was then at rest and would pray 
for him in heaven. 

This story teaches us the immense power of Christ's 
blood, consecrated in the Mass, and the welcome relief 
it affords to the holy souls when it is offered up for 
them. St. Gregory says authoritatively: "When the 
holy sacrifice is offered and special intercession made by 
the priest for the souls of the departed, they are released 
from their pains." 

The suffering souls also experience a great alleviation 
when the graves are incensed and sprinkled with holy 
water. The holy water does indeed only materially 
moisten the earth, but in its beneficent virtue it refreshes 
the souls in purgatory, just as the waters of Baptism fall- 
ing on the head of the infant have power to cleanse his 
soul. Wherefore see that thou frequently sprinkle the 
last resting-place of thy friends with holy water, for 
thereby thou wilt allay the heat of the flames that torture 
them. 



278 Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE MANNER AND MEASURE IN WHICH THE 

PRIEST AND THE ANGELS PRAY FOR THOSE 

WHO ARE PRESENT AT HOLY MASS. 

pious persons are often heard to complain that they 
feel no devotion and are much troubled by distrac- 
tion in prayer. No better counsel can be given to them 
than to go diligently to Mass, and unite their prayers to 
the prayer of Christ and of the priest; thus their imper- 
fect petitions will be made perfect, as a copper coin is 
gilded by being immersed in molten gold. Prayer that is 
offered in union with the holy sacrifice, as Fornerus says, 
far surpasses in value all other prayers, however long, 
however fervent. The reason of this shall be expounded 
in the present chapter for the encouragement of the 
reader. 

The priest is bound to pray for the people, and offer 
the Mass to Almighty God for their salvation. Suppli- 
cations for those who are present form a part of the Or- 
dinary of the Mass, and must not be omitted. More- 
over, all the collects, the secret prayers, and the con- 
cluding prayers, and all others which are written in the 
plural, are said in the name of the congregation and for 
their benefit. Each one who is present at Mass may 
be assured that those prayers are offered for him, 
and will profit him as much as if there was no one else 
in the church but the priest and himself. But in order 
that every one may know what and how many are the 
petitions offered on his behalf they shall be mentioned 
singly here. 



Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass, 279 

First of all the clerk, in the name of the people, says 
the Confiteor^ or general confession, and the priest gives 
the absolution to all present: "May Almighty God have 
mercy upon you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to 
life everlasting. Amen.'* '* May the almighty and merci- 
ful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of 
all our sins. Amen." When the priest goes up to the 
altar, he prays for himself and the people, saying: " Take 
away from us, we beseech thee, O Lord, our iniquities, 
that we may be worthy to enter with pure minds into the 
holy of holies, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen." 

The Kyrie eleison, the Gloria in excelsis, as well as all the 
collects, are likewise recited by the priest for himself and 
for the congregation. He often turns to the people, say- 
ing: *''Dominus vobiscum " (" The Lord be with you"). In 
this salutation, which is repeated eight times, he wishes 
for them spiritual welfare and salvation. For if God is 
with us, we have His grace, His blessing, His assistance, 
His mercy. In the Creed the priest makes public profes- 
sion for himself and for us all of the faith that is in us, 
the faith in which we desire to live and hope to die. 

At the offering of the host he says: "Accept, O holy 
Father, almighty, eternal God, this immaculate host, 
which I, Thy unworthy servant, offer unto Thee, my 
living and true God, for my innumerable sins, offences, 
and negligences, and for all here present; as also for 
all faithful Christians, both living and dead, that it may 
be profitable for my own and for their salvation, unto life 
eternal. Amen." At the pouring of the wine and water 
into the chalice he says: "O God, Who, in creating 
human nature, didst wonderfully dignify it, and hast still 
more wonderfully renewed it, grant that, by the mystery 
of this water and wine, we may be made partakers of 
His divinity Who vouchsafed to become partaker of our 
humanity, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord," etc. 



28o Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass. 

At the offering of the chalice he says: "We offer to 
Thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation, beseeching Thy 
clemency that, in the sight of Thy divine majesty, it 
may ascend with the odor of sweetness for our salvation, 
and for that of the whole world. Amen." 

After the washing of hands he says: ".Receive, O 
Holy Trinity, this oblation, which we make to Thee in 
memory of the passion, resurrection, and ascension of 
Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in honor of the Blessed 
Mary, ever virgin, of blessed John the Baptist, of the holy 
apostles Peter and Paul, of these and of all the saints, that 
it may be available to their honor and our salvation, 
and may they vouchsafe to intercede for us in heaven 
whose memory we celebrate on earth. Amen." 

After this follow the secret prayers, which are full 
of meaning, and are recited in a low voice for the salva- 
tion of the priest and the people. They are generally 
three in number, sometimes five; on great feasts there is 
only one. In the preface the priest, raising his voice, 
praises God in his own name and that of the faithful, 
and calls upon all who are present to magnify God, say- 
ing: "The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let 
us give thanks to the Lord our God. For it is meet 
and just, right and salutary, that we should always, and 
in all places, give thanks to Thee, O holy Lord, Father 
Almighty, Eternal God. Through Christ Our Lord, 
through Whom the angels praise Thy majesty, the domi- 
nations adore, the powers do hold in awe, the heavens 
and the virtues of the heavens, and the blessed seraphim 
do celebrate with united joy. In union with whom we 
beseech Thee that Thou wouldst command our voices 
also to be admitted with suppliant confession, saying: 
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and 
earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. 
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lordt 
Hosanna in the highest ! " 



Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass. 281 

After the preface follows the canon of the Mass, which 
is read in a low voice; from this only a few prayers, in- 
tended for the congregation, shall be taken. At the 
Me7nento the priest says: *^ Be mindful, O Lord, of Thy 
servants, men and women, N. and N." He then prays 
s^.ently for those for whom he intends to offer up that 
Mass, or who have been particularly commended to his 
prayers. Afterwards he proceeds: "Be mindful, also, O 
Lord, of all here present, whose faith and devotion are 
known unto Thee, for whom we offer to Thee this sacri- 
fice of praise, or who offer it up for themselves, for 
their families and friends, for the redemption of their 
souls, for the hope of their safety and salvation, and who 
pay their vows to Thee, the eternal, living, and true 
God." 

These words have been commented upon in the follow- 
ing manner: " Learn from this, O Christian, that thou 
needest not distress thyself if on account of thy poverty 
thou canst not have Mass said for thyself, or for thy 
friends, whether living or dead. For the Mass which thou 
dost hear is offered by the priest for thy intention; and 
he prays God to give to thee and those for whom 
thou dost ask the merits of this holy sacrifice according 
to thy devotion and thy desire." 

After the Memento a solemn commemoration is made 
of the glorious and ever-virgin Mar)'-, Mother of our 
Lord and God, Jesus Christ; of the apostles, martyrs, 
and saints, to honor their memory and entreat that by 
their merits and prayers we may be defended by the help 
of the divine protection. Then, spreading his hands 
over the oblation, the priest says: "We therefore be^ 
seech Thee, O Lord, graciously to accept this oblation 
of our service, as also of Thy whole family; dispose our 
days in Thy peace, command us to be delivered froni 
eternal damnation, and to be numbered in the flock of 
Thy ekctj through Christj Our Lord, Amen," 



282 Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass, 

After the elevation of the chalice he says: "Where- 
fore, O Lord, we, Thy servants, as also Thy holy people, 
calling to mind the blessed passion of the same Christ, 
Thy Son, Our Lord, His resurrection from hell and 
glorious ascension into heaven, offer unto Thy most ex- 
cellent majesty, of thy gifts and presents, a pure host, a 
holy host, an immaculate host, the holy bread of eternal 
life, and the chalice of everlasting salvation. 

" Upon which vouchsafe to look with a propitious and 
serene countenance, and to accept them as Thou wert 
graciously pleased to accept the gifts of Thy just servant 
Abel, and the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham, and 
that which Thy high priest Melchisedech offered to Thee, 
a holy sacrifice, an immaculate host/' 

Bowing down profoundly, he proceeds: "We most 
humbly beseech Thee, Almighty God, command these 
things to be carried by the hands of Thy holy angel to 
Thy altar on high, in the sight of Thy divine majesty, 
that as many of us as, by participation at this altar, shall 
receive the most sacred body and blood of Thy Son 
may be filled with all heavenly benediction and grace. 
Through the same,'* etc. 

After this comes the commemoration of the dead, when 
the priest offers the holy Mass for the souls for whom it 
is said, or those for whom he intends to pray. He 
then proceeds: " And to us sinners, Thy servants, hoping 
in the multitude of Thy mercies, vouchsafe to grant some 
part and fellowship with Thy holy apostles and martyrs, 
into whose company we beseech Thee to admit us, not 
considering our merits, but freely pardoning our of- 
fences." 

He next recites the Pater nosier for himself and all 
the faithful, and at the conclusion of it he prays that we 
may be delivered from all evils, past, present, and to come, 
^nd through the intercession of the blessed and glorious 



Praying f 07' Those Present at Holy Mass. 283 

Mary, ever virgin, Mother of God, together with the 
blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and Andrew and all 
the saints, by the assistance of divine mercy we may be 
always free from sin and secure from all disturbance. 

The Agnus Dei is repeated three times : " Lamb of 
God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy 
upon us." The short prayers which immediately fol- 
low are said by the priest for himself alone, but the 
last collects, or post-communion, are said for the congre- 
gation as well. The concluding prayer runs thus: "O 
Holy Trinity, let the performance of my homage be pleas- 
ing to Thee; and grant that the sacrifice which 1, un- 
worthy, have offered up in the sight of Thy majesty 
may be acceptable to Thee, and through Thy mercy be a 
propitiation for me and all those for whom I have offered 
it. Through Christ,'* etc. Finally, the priest gives the 
sacerdotal blessing to the people in the name of Christ 
and the authority of the Church, and reads the last 
gospel. 

Here the reader will see all the prayers which the 
priest says on his behalf, when he assists at holy Mass. 
The cogency of these prayers cannot be doubted, for they 
were composed by St. Peter and other holy popes, under 
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, to Whose operation they 
also owe their sacred character and their unfailing effi- 
cacy. The priest does not indeed pronounce them as 
coming from himself; he speaks in the name of Christ, in 
the name of all Christendom, whose envoy he is, for the 
Catholic Church, that is, the great body, of the faith- 
ful, depute the priest, as their chosen ambassador, to as- 
cend for them the steps of the altar; they commission 
him to present their petitions to God whilst celebrating 
the great act of worship; to negotiate with Him the all- 
important business of their welfare in time and in eter- 
nity. With what forms and with what words he is to h.old 



284 Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass, 

communication with God is prescribed by the Church, 
and embodied in the ritual and prayers of the missal. 

Now when the priest, placing himself in the presence 
of God, goes up to the altar, God the Father does not 
regard him as a sinful man, but as an ambassador, fully 
empowered by His Church to treat with Him. He there- 
fore listens to what he has to say. He refuses no reason- 
able request that he puts forward. Nay, more, He es- 
teems him as the representative of His only-begotten 
Son, for the priest personates that Son at the altar; he 
wears the garments of His passion; he utters in His 
name the words of consecration : " This is My body. This 
is the chalice of My blood." And since the priest is thus 
Christ's representative, his supplications have the more 
weight with God; in fact Christ Himself presents them 
to His heavenly Father. Moreover, because the priest 
at the altar does not merely offer prayers, but an oblation 
of infinite value, nothing less than the consecrated body 
and blood of Christ, God the Father cannot refuse to 
accept his offering. He cannot reject his prayer. Where- 
fore do thou unite thy feeble, imperfect petition to the 
prayer of the priest, and, together with that prayer, it 
will be carried up to heaven, transformed and ennobled. 
In this wise does the priest help thee to pray, and what 
thou lackest in devotion will be amply supplied by the 
potency of his intercession. 

WHETHER ALL MASSES ARE OF EQUAL VALUE. 

Here it is necessary to distinguish between the victim 
and the sacrificial act. The victim is the same in all 
Masses, none other than Jesus Christ Himself, and so far 
all Masses are equally good, equally precious. With re- 
gard to the sacrificial act, the offering of the victim, the 
more devoutly the priest says the Mass the more accept- 
able to God is the sacrifice he offers, and the more 



Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass. 285 

abundant are the graces it brings down from above, both 
upon the priest who celebrates the Mass and the indi- 
vidual for whom he offers it. 

We find a confirmation of this in the writings of St. 
Bonaventure, who says: " All Masses are equally good, as 
far as Christ is concerned; but as far as the priest is 
concerned, one may be better than another. Therefore U 
is more profitable to hear the Mass of a good priest than 
of an indifferent, one.'* Cardinal Bona also corroborates 
this opinion: " The more holy and pleasing to God,'' he 
says, "a priest is the more acceptable are his prayers 
and oblations; and the greater his devotion the greater 
the benefit derived from his Mass. For just as other 
good works performed by a pious man gain merit in 
proportion to the zeal and devotion wherew^ith they are 
performed, so holy Mass is more or less profitable both 
to the priest who says it and to the persons for whom it is 
said according as it is celebrated with more or less fer- 
vor." This is the reason why in the Mass the priest 
frequently beseeches God graciously to accept his obla- 
tion, and to vouchsafe that it may be conducive to his 
own salvation and that of the people. 

HOW THE ANGELS PRAY FOR US IN THE TIME OF 
HOLY MASS. 

It is impossible to deny or doubt that the angels are 
present at holy Mass. The Catholic Church teaches it, 
and the psalmist does the same when he says: " He 
hath given His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in 
all thy ways." (Ps. xc. 11.) From this we know that 
they go about with us everywhere, that they are to us 
ministering spirits, as St. Paul says (Heb. i. 14), ever 
ready to help us. Oh, how delighted they are to accom- 
pany us to holy Mass ! How eagerly they do all they 
can to keep us from inattention or irreverence ! We 



286 Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass, 

know at least that there are as many angels in the 
church as there are people, because every one has his 
guardian angel at his side to aid him in his prayers and 
to adore with him Christ present upon the altar. Where- 
fore see that thou ask thy guardian angel to hear Mass 
with thee and for thee, and in thy name to worship the 
divine victim, to offer Him to God, to implore His 
grace. Thus what is wanting on thy part will be made 
good by him, and the holy sacrifice will be more accept- 
able to God Almighty. 

Besides the angels guardian, thousands of celestial 
spirits from the higher choirs of angels assist at Mass, 
reverently worshipping their Lord and God in this sub- 
lime mystery. It was revealed to St. Mechtilde that 
three thousand angels from the seventh choir, the thrones, 
are ever in devout attendance around every tabernacle 
where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. Doubtless a 
much greater number are present at holy Mass, which is 
not merely a sacrament, but also a sacrifice. 

St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, gives us to 
understand that the angels assist at holy Mass. He 
says: " You are come to the company of many thousands 
of angels, and to Jesus the mediator of the New Testa- 
ment.'* (Heb. xii. 22, 24.) This text is most applicable 
to holy Mass, where Christ is present, exercising the 
office of a faithful mediator, and with Him many thou- 
sand angels. When at Mass, therefore, we can take 
David's words upon our lips, and say: " I will sing 
praise to Thee, O Lord, in the sight of the angels: I 
will worship towards Thy holy temple, and I will give 
glory to Thy name." (Ps. cxxxvii. i, 2.) For then we 
are kneeling in the midst of angels, surrounded by thou- 
sands of bright spirits, who are hearing Mass with us, 
and praying earnestly for us. And knowing this, we 
shall do well to recall the admonition of St. Chrysostom: 



Praying for Those Present at Holy Mass. 287 

'* Forget not, O man, in what company thou art at the 
time of this solemn sacrifice. Thou standest amid 
cherubim and seraphim and other exalted spirits of 
high rank." Let us beware, then, lest we grieve these 
celestial powers by our want of devotion. 

That the angels pray for us St. Chrysostom states in 
the most explicit manner: ^^ When the priest at the altar 
offers the stupendous and sublime sacrifice, the angels 
stand beside him, and all around the altar are ranged 
choirs of heavenly spirits, who raise their voices in honor 
of the victim Who is immolated. Thus it is not lowly 
mortals alone who call upon God: the angels kneel be- 
fore Him, the archangels plead on behalf of men. It is 
their most accepted time; the sacred victim may be said 
to be at their disposal. Through Him they urge their 
petitions. We may imagine them speaking in this wise: 
* We pray, O Lord God, for those whom Thy Son loved 
so tenderly that for them He suffered death; we plead 
for those on whose behalf He shed His precious blood; 
we implore grace for those for the sake of whom He 
offered His sacred body upon the cross.'' How cheer- 
ing for us to know that the holy angels pray so earnestly 
during Mass for all who are present, that they implore 
mercy for us poor sinners. For the supplications the 
angels proffer are much more potent than those which 
we mortals send up to heaven, for the angels are inflamed 
with the love of God, they behold Him face to face, 
they speak with all the devotion of their pure hearts. 
Consequently they obtain what they ask of God more 
readily than we do, with our cold, careless petitions, so 
full, of distractions. Wherefore if thou dost unite thy 
prayers during Mass to those of the angels they will 
together with them pierce the clouds, and will obtain a 
favorable hearing more certainly than if thou didst offer 
them at home and alone. 



2S8 Praying for Those Present at Holy Mas$, 

Not only are the angels present at the holy sacrifice, 
they offer it with our prayers to Almighty God. St. 
John tells us this in the Apocalypse: " An angel came 
and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and 
there was given to him much incense, that he should 
offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, 
which is before the throne of God. And the smoke of 
the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up be- 
fore God from the hand of the angel." (Apoc. viii. 3, 4.) 
These words tell us plainly that the angels hover around 
us in the church, receiving from the lips of the faithful 
their pious prayers and delivering them to one of the 
most exalted of their number, that he may carry them to 
heaven and present them like fragrant incense upon 
the golden altar which stands before the throne of God. 
Kindled by him, they rise up as a sweet and agreeable 
odor in the presence of the Most High. 

That this offering of our petitions is chiefly made 
during holy Mass is sufficiently indicated by the words: 
"The angel stood before the altar"; for why should the 
angel stand before the altar unless the holy sacrifice was 
offered upon it ? And why should he place the sweet 
incense of the prayers of the saints upon it if he did not 
at the same time with the incense bear upwards the sacred 
victim? For to that and no other altar does the sacri- 
ficial victim rightly belong, and there it is daily placed, 
according to the prayer the priest recites at the conse- 
cration: " We most humbly beseech Thee, Almighty 
God, command these things to be carried by the hands 
of Thy holy angel to Thy altar on high, in the sight of 
Thy divine majesty." 

All this proves that the holy angels with joy bear on 
high the sublime mysteries, together with the prayers 
offered during the time of their celebration, and offer 
them to the ever-blessed Trinity as an odor of sweet- 



Mass Does Not Hinder Our Work, But Helps. 289 

ness. It is evident, then, that the prayers we send up at 
the time of Mass, when we pray with the holy angels, 
surrounded by thousands of angels, are of far more effi- 
cacy than those which, with equal devotion, we utter at 
home. Wherefore let us do what in us lies to hear Mass 
daily, that our prayers may be carried up to heaven in 
the angels' pure hands, and we may beseech the Most 
High to receive them graciously, and pardon our indevo- 
tion for the sake of the devotion of the celestial spirits to 
whom we associate ourselves. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

HOLY MASS DOES NOT HINDER OUR WORK, BUT 
HELPS US IN IT. 

'X'HE principal excuse which Christians allege for not 
hearing Mass is their work. All the time that they 
are not at work they consider lost time, and more espe- 
cially the time they spend in assisting at Mass, or some 
other divine service. In this they are mistaken, and 
sorely deceived by the devil, as I will now proceed to 
explain. If, on his way to work, a man meets a friend 
who has got a great deal to tell him, he might easily waste 
half an hour listening to the news, forgetting all about 
his work. But if any one proposed to that man to hear 
a Mass, he would answer that he must be off and away 
to his business. So if a man had a drink offered hirn 
when on the way to his work, he would surely stop and 
spend half an hour in the tavern, and not think himself 
the loser by it, whereas if he had had to go to an early 
Mass before starting, he would have regretted the loss of 
so much time. 



^go Mass Does Not Hinder Our Work, But Helps. 

Thus does Satan shamefully strive to blind us, and by 
all manner of means to deter us from the salutary prac- 
tice of hearing Mass. Wherefore I intend to demonstrate 
in this chapter that, far from being a loss of time for per- 
sons who have to work for their living, it brings them no 
small profit, and instead of hindering helps them in their 
daily toil. 

In support of this assertion the highest of all authority 
can be quoted, the divine Saviour Himself, Who, when 
blaming excessive solicitude in providing for our temporal 
needs, said in conclusion: "Seek ye therefore first the 
kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall 
be added unto you." (St. Matt. vi. 33.) Commentators ex- 
plain this passage as alluding to hearing Mass; as if Our' 
Lord had said: *' Be not over-solicitous about your bodily 
sustenance, but in the first place pay God homage by 
hearing Mass before beginning the day's labors, and He 
will requite this service by providing what is necessary 
for the body." Supposing any one were to render a great 
and most acceptable service to some man of high rank, 
noted for his kindness, dost thou imagine that he 
would leave that service unrewarded? Certainly not; he 
would recompense it liberally. Now when thou hearest 
Mass devoutly, and offerest it to thy God, thou dost ren- 
der Him an infinite service, infinite honor, infinite satis- 
faction; thou dost present to Him a gift so costly that 
all the treasures of heaven cannot outweigh it. Can it 
be supposed that God will let Himself be outdone in 
gratitude by man, that He will allow this good service, 
this precious gift, to be unrewarded, or, what is more, 
that He will permit thee to be a loser by it ? By no 
means. We know God to be a rewarder of all that is 
good, and therefore He cannot fail to reward that highest 
of all services, or else thou couldst reproach Him with it 
before angels and men at the judgment-day, and that is a 



Mass Does Not Hinder Our Work, But Helps, 1^1 

thing He would never permit. I will now give an in- 
stance of the manner in which God sometimes visibly 
rewards devout attendance at Mass. 

In the life of St. John the Almoner we read a story of 
two shoemakers who lived in Alexandria. One of these 
men had a wife and a large family to support, yet he 
went to Mass every day; and God so blessed his industry 
that although he was very poor at first he soon had a 
flourishing business. The other was married, but had no 
children; he worked early and late, never going to Mass 
except on Sundays, and yet he could scarcely earn a 
living. Unable to understand how it was that his neigh- 
bor got on so much better than he did, he one day 
went to him and asked how it was that he, who had 
a wife and a number of children, was so well off, whilst he 
himself, who worked more hours a day, and had no 
family, found it more and more difficult to keep the wolf 
from the door. The other man replied: *^ I have discov- 
ered a hidden treasure, and every day I go to draw some- 
thing from it. That is why I get richer day by day.'* 
" My good fellow," his neighbor rejoined, " do show me 
where the treasure is, and let me, too, fill my pockets 
from it." " Very well," the pious cobbler said, " come to 
me early to-morrow morning and I will show you the 
place where lies hid so great a treasure that it is enough 
to enrich the whole town." The next morning the poor 
man made his appearance betimes, delighted at the idea 
of having the secret disclosed to him. But his neighbor 
only took him to Mass with him; the following day he 
did the same, and also the day after. At last the poor 
man lost his temper, and said: "I know the w^ay to 
church without your guidance, and I have been to Mass 
ever since I was a child; if you do not intend to show me 
the treasure you spoke of, at any rate you need not make 
a fool of me." The other answered gently: " Do not be 



292 Mass Does Not Hinder Our Work, But Helj)S. 

angry with me, neighbor; I have not been making a fool 
of you, for I have really shown you the place where I 
find my riches. It is none other than the church, and 
the treasure itself is holy Mass; hence come my gains, 
this is why we never know what it is to want bread. Do 
as I do, and doubtless God will do the same for you. 
Remember the words of our divine Lord: * Seek ye first 
the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things 
shall be added unto you.' From the time of my mar- 
riage I have sought the kingdom of God by hearing Mass 
daily; and I can truly say that all these things, that is, 
the supply of my temporal needs, have been given to me 
by God. Ycu, on the contrary, have neglected Our 
Lord's salutary counsel, and have preferred your work to 
the service of God; consequently your temporal wants 
have not been supplied, and you have been left in pov- 
erty." These words had the desired effect; the other 
shoemaker saw that he. had been negligent in serving 
God; from that day forth he made it his habit to go to 
Mass, and found that the divine blessing was no longer 
withheld from him. 

The pious cobbler was right in calling holy Mass a 
treasure; it is indeed a treasure, one of which it may be 
said: " It is an infinite treasure to men, which they that 
use become the friends of God." (Wis. vii. 14.) It 
is a mine of gold out of which riches may be dug for 
time and for eternityc For he who hears Mass in a state 
of grace will share in the merits of Christ, and these are 
truly nuggets of celestial gold. He also receives the 
blessing of his heavenly Father, a far better one than the 
blessing Isaac gave to his son Jacob when he said: " God 
give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of 
the earth, abundance of corn and wine." (Gen. xxvii. 
28 ) For this benediction was confined to earthly things 
alone, whereas the benediction we receive in the Mass 



Mass Does Not Hinder Our Work, But Helps. 293 

relates to supernatural things as well; for after the con- 
secration the priest prays that " as many of us as, by 
participation at this altar, shall receive the most sacred 
body and blood of Thy Son may be filled with all 
heavenly benediction and grace." In virtue of this 
fervent petition, and by the operation of the holy sacrifice, 
thou shalt experience the blessing of God in body and 
soul, in thy work and occupations, in matters temporal 
and spiritual. The benediction of ancient times shall 
find its fulfilment in thee: " Blessed shalt thou be coming 
in and going out. Blessed shalt thou be in the city and 
in the field. The Lord will send forth a blessing upon all 
the works of thy hands." (Deut. xxviii. 6, 3, 8.) 

Those who work with their hands, whether in the 
workshop or in the fields, will experience the truth of the 
saying: *^ Without God's aid no progress is made." For 
let them toil as they may, unless the divine blessing rests 
upon their labors they will meet with no success. Now 
there is no better meases of obtaining an abundant bless- 
ing from God than holy Mass. For in the Mass Christ 
Himself gives us His divine benediction; in fact St. 
Bridget was privileged to behold Him, at the moment of 
the elevation of the sacred host, raising His august right 
hand to make the sign of the cross upon the prostrate 
worshippers, while He said: " My blessing be upon all you 
who believe in Me." Our Lord bestows this benediction 
upon all who go to Mass, He blesses their work and all 
they do. If thou dost absent thyself from Mass because 
of thy work, thou dost lose the blessing of God, and thy 
work will not profit thee for time or for eternity, as it 
would if thou soughtest God's blessing to begin and to 
accomplish it. 

Those who neglect Mass ought not, if they are in want, 
to wonder what is the cause of their impoverished cir- 
cumstances, for if we give grudgingly to God He will 



294 Mass Does Not Hinder Our Work, But Helps, 

give grudgingly to us. If merely from indifference and 
carelessness thou dost withhold from Him the worship 
that is His due, the satisfaction which thou couldst 
render to Him by hearing Mass, He will withhold from 
thee thy daily bread, and His blessing will not be upon 
thy work. 

Beware of saying: What use is it to hear Mass ? I am 
none the richer, none the happier, for it; it makes no 
difference to me whether I have or have not heard Mass. 
This is the way in which foolish and ungodly persons 
speak, who have no just idea of w^hat holy Mass really is. 
Any one who has read this book will have learnt enough 
of the virtue and excellence of the Mass to make him 
rejoice in it. Hearing Mass is not only useful for the 
soul, but for the body as well; the benefit we derive 
from it is material as well as spiritual. As Fornerus 
says: "The very food thou dost eat on the day thou 
hast been to Mass nourishes thee better; thy work suc- 
ceeds better; any troubles that weigh on thee appear less 
heavy." Again another pious writer says: "He who 
begins the day by going to Mass will be attended by 
better fortune in his work, in his business, in w^hatever 
his hand finds to do, or wherever his feet carry him. 
And when thou hast heard Mass in the morning, if, later 
in the day, thou shouldst be suddenly overtaken by death, 
be assured that Christ w^ill be present with thee in thy 
last moments, as thou wert present with Him at holy 
Mass," Let words such as these, setting forth the great 
utility of the holy sacrifice, incite us to assist at it as 
frequently as possible. 

We may go farther, and say, not only does holy Mass 
not hinder our work: it does more, it furthers it, as ex- 
perience has often proved. It is related of St. Isidore, a 
Spanish saint of comparatively humble birth, that he was 
engaged by a w^ealthy nobleman of Madrid to cultivate 



Mass Does Not Hinder Our Work, but Helps. 295 

his lands for a fixed annual salary. He fulfilled his duty 
with exemplary industry, but without discontinuing any 
of his religious exercises; every morning he heard Mass 
in more than one church, and spent some hours in 
prayer. His piety was so pleasing to God that an angel 
was sent to help him in his work on the farm lest any- 
thing should suffer through his absence. However, the 
owners of the adjoining land, actuated by jealousy, ac- 
cused him to his employer of neglecting the field-work to 
hear Mass, to the injury of the crops. The nobleman, 
greatly enraged at hearing this, went to the farm at once, 
and rebuked his steward in no measured terms for his 
dishonest conduct. The saint replied quietly: " I know, 
sir, that I am your servant, but I have another master, 
the King of kings, to Whom I also owe obedience. If, 
however, you. think that your interests suffer through my 
coming late to work, when harvest time comes, you can 
deduct whatever you think proper from my share of the 
produce." Pacified by this answer, the proprietor said no 
more, and left the pious farmer to go to Mass as he 
pleased. Meanwhile he was desirous to know really how 
much time was taken from agriculture, so one morning 
he went very early to his fields, and concealed himself 
behind a rock. Finding that Isidore did certainly begin 
to plough at a very late hour, he went towards him, 
intending to take him severely to task. What was his 
astonishment when he descried two strangers, with a 
team of white oxen, ploughing one on each side of his 
steward. For a while he stood riveted to the spot, con- 
templating this extraordinary apparition. Then he ad- 
vanced nearer, stepping over the newly-made furrows, 
but when he was almost close up to them they vanished 
out of sight, the unknown husbandmen, the snow-white 
oxen, and the plough they were driving. Overwhelmed 
with astonishment, he called out to Isidore: '' My good 



296 Mass Does Not Hinder Our Work, but Helfs. 

man, for God's sake tell me who those men are who are 
ploughing this field with you." The saint looked up 
with a smile, but answered nothing, for indeed he did 
not know what to say. His master continued: "I am 
positive that I saw two men at work with you, but as 
soon as I came near they both disappeared/' " I de- 
clare before God," Isidore replied, *^ that I have not seen 
any one helping me; I have not even asked assistance 
from any one, except God, Whom I implore every day to 
come to my aid." Then the proprietor of the estate 
knew that the laborers he had seen were angels, and con- 
gratulated himself on having so saintly a man in his 
service. 

This story forcibly illustrates what has been said above, 
that hearing Mass is a help, not a hindrance, to our 
work, for God ordains that, for the service we render Him, 
we should do our work more easily and succeed better in 
it. The time we take from our daily avocations to spend 
in the service of God is not wasted; on the contrary, it 
is very well employed, and earns for us from God a 
temporal and an eternal reward. Has He not told us, 
with His own divine lips: *' Seek ye first the kingdom 
of God and His justice, and all these things shall be 
added unto you ? " (St. Matt. vi. 33.) This is tantamount 
to saying: Hear Mass in the morning, and thou shalt 
have an abundant blessing on all thou doest in the day. 



Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass. 297 



CHAPTER XXV. 

GREAT MERIT IS GAINED BY OFFERING HOLY 
MASS IN A RIGHT MANNER. 

T ET me counsel thee, pious reader, to read the follow- 
ing chapter attentively, and impress well upon thy 
memory the truths it contains; for they are of great 
importance, and will, if duly carried out, be of no slight 
profit to thy soul. Bear in mind that holy Mass is the 
true and supreme sacrifice of the Christian religion, and 
that all those who would assist at it aright should join 
in offering it to the most high God. The Mass is not to 
the Christian merely a form of prayer, it is an act of 
worship and a sacrifice; for all who hear Mass offer the 
divine oblation together with the priest. First of all 
there is the great high priest, the chief sacrificer, 
Christ, Who Himself offers every Mass that is said to 
His heavenly Father. Then there is the officiating 
priest, who immolates the divine victim. Thirdly, there 
are the faithful, who, present at the holy sacrifice, have 
also the power of offering it, and in fact sometimes do 
so with greater profit than the priest himself. Fourthly, 
there are those who either pay for the Mass, or provide 
something necessary for celebrating it, such as the 
chalice or the vestment. Lastly those too must be in- 
cluded who, unable to assist in person, unite themselves 
in spirit to the priest, and join with him in his sacrificial 
act whilst remaining in their own homes. They also, since 
they participate in a certain measure in offering the holy 
sacrifice, participate in its fruits, and may, if they so will, 
assign to others the benefit of those fruits. Ponder well 



298 Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass, 

these truths, for they contain valuable instruction and 
comfort. 

One of the greatest graces which are granted to the 
children of the Church is that the privilege of offering 
to the Divine Majesty the sacred and sublime sacrifice 
of the Mass is not the prerogative of priests alone, but 
belongs to the laity as well, to men, women, and children. 
This favor was not shown to the Jews; no one but the 
priest was permitted to offer the holocaust, or to kindle 
the incense in the temple. Any man presuming to do 
so would have been guilty of sacrilege. We read in Holy 
Scripture that when King Ozias desired to burn incense 
upon the altar of incense the priests withstood him, and 
said: ** It doth not belong to thee, Ozias, to burn incense 
to the Lord, but to the priests, who are consecrated for 
this ministry; go out of the sanctuary, do not despise: 
for this thing shall not be accounted to thy glory by the 
Lord God." (11. Par. xxvi. 18.) Ozias was very angry at 
this, and, still holding the censer in his hand, threatened 
to revenge himself on the priests. And presently the 
Lord smote him with leprosy in his forehead, which when 
the priests saw they hastened to thrust him out. The king 
remained a leper to the day of his death. Such was the 
terrible chastisement inflicted on him for his presump- 
tion in wishing to burn and oft'er incense to the Lord in 
the temple. 

In the New Testament the case is very different; 
under this dispensation it is graciously permitted to ordi- 
nary people to offer, not incense only, but the precious 
blood of Christ in the holy Mass. St. Peter lays stress 
on this prerogative of the Christian in contradistinction 
to the Jew when he says to believers in general: "You 
are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy na- 
tion, a purchased people. Be you also as living stones 
built up, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacri- 



Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass, 299 

fices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.'* (i. Pet. 

ii. 9. 5-) 

In these words the apostle designs to teach us that all 

the faithful of either sex are members of a spiritual 
priesthood, and have received from God the power to 
offer spiritual sacrifices. But when they offer the Mass 
by the hands of the priest they do more, they offer what 
is better than a spiritual oblation, namely, a visible one, 
even the self-same victim Whom the priest holds in his 
hands. Happy indeed are the laity in being thus privi- 
leged, through the divine bounty, to purchase the inesti- 
mable treasure of the body and blood of Christ, and 
with a few words to offer it to God for their own im- 
measurable profit ! Make frequent use, O pious Chris- 
tian, of this thy glorious prerogative; it is the easiest 
way of acquiring eternal riches. This sacrificial act is 
the chief, the most important, part of hearing Mass, for 
without it thou wilt neither gain much profit to thyself 
nor give pleasure to God. 

"Hearing Mass," says a spiritual writer, "does not 
merely consist in being present in person when it is cele- 
brated, but in offering it to God conjointly with the 
priest." Remember this and act upon it if thou desirest 
to hear Mass well, and with profit to thy soul. " All the 
faithful are able to offer the holy sacrifice, not, indeed, 
of themselves, but through the instrumentality of the 
priest. In order that a layman or any secular person 
should offer the Mass he must either pay for it, serve it, 
or at any rate hear it. The faithful who are absent can- 
not be said, in virtue of being members of the Church, 
to partake in the oblation unless they cooperate with 
the priest in one of the ways above mentioned." 

All this is undeniably true. It is not enough to be 
present at Mass in order to share in the fruits of the 
Mass: we must make a definite offering of it to God in 



300 Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass, 

union with the officiating priest. The Mass is a sacri- 
fice, and it appertains to the nature of a sacrifice that it 
should be offered to the Deity. Therefore those persons 
who fail to do this, either with their lips or in their 
heart, do not derive half the benefit from the Mass that 
others do, although they fulfil the precept of the Church, 
whilst piously reciting other prayers that have nothing 
of the character of an offering. 

To take an illustration: Suppose some one recites the 
Rosary several times with devotion, offering it up to God 
and His blessed Mother, he presents an acceptable gift, 
which will obtain a rich reward. But if, on the other 
hand, some other individual were to hear one single 
Mass, and fervently offer it to Almighty God, which of 
the two would present the nobler oblation and receive 
the greater recompense? The latter, undoubtedly; for 
the Rosary, although a most excellent form of prayer, 
consisting mainly of petitions sanctioned by God Him- 
self, is at the best an earthly, imperfect oblation. 
Whereas holy Mass is purely supernatural; the most per- 
fect, the noblest, the most divine oblation, for in it are 
offered the blood, the wounds, the tears, the death, and 
the merits of Christ. What other oblation is there as 
sacred, as perfect, as acceptable to God the Father ? 

It may, however, be said that whosoever offers the 
Rosary or other devotions offers something that is his 
very own, and has cost him some amount of trouble; 
while he who offers a Mass, or the merits of Christ, pre- 
sents gifts not his own, but belonging to another, even 
to Christ, Who suffered for him. On the other hand, 
however, we may answer, he who offers the holy sacrifice, 
or the merits Christ earned by that sacrifice, presents 
no alien gift, but one that is essentially his own, because 
in the Mass Our Lord's merits are bestowed upon us, 
and given us for our own. " All that Christ merited by 



Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass, 30 1 

His passion, His death, the shedding of His blood, we 
appropriate to ourselves in the unbloody sacrifice of 
the Mass," says a pious divine. The Church lends her 
authority to this consoling doctrine when she says: 
"The fruits of that oblation, of that bloody one, to wit, 
are received most plentifully through this unbloody 
one." (Coun. Trent, Sess. xxii. ch. 2.) In this decree 
the Church distinctly teaches that by hearing Mass the 
merits of Christ, the fruits of His passion, are freely 
communicated to and bestowed upon us. Wherefore, 
since what we receive as a gift is as completely our own 
as what we earn ourselves, we are able at the time of 
Mass to present the merits of Christ to God the Father 
as our own oblation, and thereby give infinite satisfac- 
tion to His divine majesty. 

Ponder well the immense favor Christ bestows on 
thee in making thee a mystical priest, and empowering 
thee to offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass, not for thyself 
alone, but also for others. Bishop Fornerus tells us: 
" It is not the priest alone who offers the Mass for him- 
self and for others: every Christian who is present may 
do the same, for his own needs and those of his friends.** 
This is expressed in the prayer following after the Sane- 
tus: "Be mindful, O Lord, of thy servants N. and N.; 
and of all present, whose faith and devotion are known, 
for whom we offer, or who offer, up to Thee this sacrifice 
for themselves, their families and friends," The mean- 
ing of these words is too obvious to be mistaken. 

Moreover, when the priest says the Orate fratres, he 
turns towards the people and invites them to help him 
in offering the holy sacrifice: " Brethren, pray that my 
sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Father 
Almighty." As if he would say: I am about to per- 
form a work of great importance, to offer an oblation 
which in my own strength I cannot do; I ask you to 



302 Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass. 

pray for me and assist me with your cooperation, for it 
concerns you nearly, the sacrifice is yours as well as 
mine, and for this reason you are bound to help me. 
After the elevation of the chalice he says: ** O Lord, we 
Thy servants, as also Thy holy people, offer unto Thy 
most excellent majesty, of Thy gifts and grants, a pure 
host," etc. Here the priest says in so many words that 
not he alone, but all the holy people of God with him, 
offer this pure holocaust. If the congregation do not 
respond to this appeal on the part of the priest either by 
word or in thought, they defraud him, but they injure 
themselves far more, for they lose a great merit. " Think, 
O fools," says Fornerus, " of how great a good you de- 
prive yourselves by going to Mass so seldom, or by neg- 
lecting when you do go to offer it up for yourselves 
and for your friends.*' 

We shall all do well to lay this to heart, for not only 
those who absent themselves from Mass through indif- 
ference, but also those who hear it in a superficial 
manner, occupying themselves meanwhile with their daily 
prayers, lose a great deal that they might gain. We can 
do nothing better during Mass-time than make an act of 
oblation; the more frequently and the more fervently we 
do this the more we please God, the more satisfaction 
we make for our sins, the more reward we lay up in 
heaven. As often as we make this oblation to God it is 
as if we said to Him: I pay Thee this price for the re- 
mission of the temporal punishment due to my sins, for 
the purchase of celestial treasures, for the relief of the 
suffering souls in purgatory. 

It is indeed at any time highly profitable for us to say: 
My God, I offer Thee Thy beloved Son; I offer Thee 
His passion and death; I offer Thee His virtues and His 
merits." But this act has a twofold value when it is ut- 
tered during the celebration of holy Mass. For at other 



Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass, 303 

times this oblation is only one of the lips and of the heart: 
during holy Mass the oblation is a real and actual one; 
for then Christ Himself is present in person with all His 
merits and virtues. On the altar He is mystically im- 
molated, His passion and death are renewed. In holy 
Mass His merits are abundantly communicated to us; 
nay, He gives us Himself that we may present Him to 
His Father. If these words of oblation, uttered apart 
from the Mass, are so powerful, as we learn from these 
words of Christ spoken to a saint: " There is no sinner, 
however great, who may not hope to obtain forgiveness 
if he offers to God My undeserved sufferings," what will 
not the effect be of the actual oblation of His passion in 
holy Mass when it is renewed upon the altar and partici- 
pated in by all who are present at the time ? 

It is said that Our Lord said one day to St. Mechtilde : 
" Behold, I give thee My charity. My prayers, My bitter 
sufferings; I make them Mine that thou mayst give them 
back to Me. To each one who does this I return his 
gift in twofold measure; and as often as it is presented 
to me I will restore it thus increased. This is the hun- 
dredfold which is promised to men in this world and 
eternal life hereafter." From this we learn that not to 
one privileged soul alone does Our Lord communicate 
His merits in holy Mass, but to all faithful Christians; 
and we also learn that we may offer Him His own gifts 
to our own incalculable profit. 

THE INFINITE VALUE OF THE VICTIM OFFERED TO GOD 

IN HOLY MASS. 

According to the learned Father Sanchez, there is no 
part of the Mass which imparts to us greater consolation 
and spiritual joy than the prayer said by the priest im- 
mediately after the elevation of the chalice, when he 
offers to God the spotless Lamb, Who takes away the sins 



304 Great Merit Gamed through Offering Holy Mass, 

of the world: " We Thy servants, as also Thy holy people, 
offer unto Thy most excellent majesty a pure host," etc. 
He speaks of the people as holy because they are sanc- 
tified by the holy sacrifice, conformably to Christ's own 
words: "For them do I sanctify Myself, that they also may 
be sanctified in truth." (St. John xvii. 19.) Those who 
are present are also sanctified by the sprinkling of His 
precious blood, shed upon them at the time of the eleva- 
tion of the chalice, as St. Paul says: ** That He might 
sanctify the people by His own blood." (Heb. xiii. 12.) 

Observe how impressive are the words wherewith the 
priest offers the holy sacrifice to God in the name of the 
congregation: " O Lord, we Thy servants, as also Thy 
holy people, offer unto Thy most excellent majesty a pure 
host, a holy host, an immaculate host," etc. It is in- 
deed a precious victim which the priest and all present 
with him offer unto the Divine Majesty; one in which 
Almighty God will rejoice and the company of heaven 
will exult. This pure, holy, immaculate sacrifice is none 
other than the most pure body, the most holy soul, the 
immaculate blood of Jesus, Who is slain upon the altar, 
not by an actual and painful, but by a supernatural and 
mystical, immolation. The sacred humanity of Christ is 
the true holocaust, which He in His divine nature offers 
at the same time as the priest, and each one of the faith- 
ful who, with his lips or in his heart, says: " My God, I 
offerThee Thy beloved Son, by the hands of the minister, 
under the form in which He now lies upon the altar." 

If it be asked what it is that the priest, and the people 
with him, offer up when the above-named words are 
uttered, I reply: They present to God Almighty a gift 
so precious that it exceeds in value the wide wqrld with 
all its treasures; so much so that were the whole earth 
ours to give it would be a gift far inferior to that which 
we offer to God in the person of His Son. Again be it 



Great Merit Gamed through Offering Holy Mass. 305 

asked: What is it we present to God when we offer Him 
the holy Mass ? We present to Him a treasure so costly 
that it outweighs the vast heavens and all their infinite 
riches. Nor need we stop here; once more be it asked: 
What do we give to our God when we offer to Him 
Jesus Christ in the holy sacrifice of the Mass ? We offer 
Him a gift of such unspeakable worth that nothing short 
of the almighty, infinite Deity and His boundless per- 
fection and majesty can equal it. More cannot be said 
than this, for in the whole universe nothing exists, noth- 
ing can be conceived, greater than God Himself. Now 
reflect within thyself how priceless a treasure thou dost 
offer to the Most Holy Trinity in presenting the divinized 
humanity of Christ for its acceptance. How great is 
the honor done to God, how great the gratitude (if we 
may so speak) He owes thee for this precious jewel, will 
be made more evident by the following comparison. 

Suppose the inhabitants of a vast realm were to unite 
together to have a costly and beautiful goblet fashioned 
out of the purest gold, exceeding in elegance and skilful 
workmanship anything that had .ever been seen or de- 
signed, and were to send this goblet by the hand of a 
brilliant embassy to their ruler as a token of their loyal 
and affectionate fidelity, how great would be the gratifi- 
cation of the monarch on receiving this gift from his 
subjects, and how graciously he would thank them for it. 
But if they were to set in the gold of the goblet a dia- 
mond of such value that the whole wealth of the king- 
dom could not purchase it, what would not the country 
expect from its ruler in return for such a present ? 

Let us apply this to holy Mass. In it we present 
to the most high God the humanity of Christ, which is so 
noble, so sacred, that nothing equal to it has ever been, 
or ever will be, created by the hand of God. Every 
worshipper present at Mass offers this sacred humanity, 



3o6 Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass, 

this precious and beautiful goblet, if after the consecra- 
tion he raises his heart to God and says: "My God, I 
offer Thee Thy beloved Son, here present upon the 
altar." And with this costly vessel we offer a priceless 
jewel, comparable only to the Godhead itself, the divinity 
of Jesus Christ. For it is in the sacred humanity that 
His divine nature dwells, as St. Paul says: "In Him 
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead corporally/' 
(Col. ii. 9.) The humanity and the divinity of Jesus 
Christ are both offered to God in holy Mass, for they are 
inseparably united. When, therefore, thou dost offer to 
God the costly jewel of Our Lord's divinity, set in the 
pure gold of His sacred humanity, a gift surpassing in 
value all that is in heaven and on earth, dost thou not 
cause infinite gratification to thy heavenly Father ? 
Thou presentest to Him the Son of Whom He said: 
"This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." 
(St. Matt. iii. 17.) For this thou wilt be richly re- 
warded, for He Whom thou honorest by this gift cannot 
be surpassed in liberality and in gratitude. By this 
means thou wilt cancel many a debt, since what thou 
givest is infinitely more than what thou owest; and it is 
not the property of another, it is thy very own, given to 
thee by Christ, as we have already seen. If Christ is 
ours, all that He has is ours also; how rich, therefore, we 
may be made by one single Mass, provided we hear it in 
the right manner ! — richer than anything upon God's 
earth could make us. Take heed, therefore, to offer God 
the Son to His heavenly Father frequently in holy Mass; 
the more often thou dost make this offering the richer 
wilt thou be. 

Make it thy habit always to offer thy oblation by the 
hands of the priest, saying: " My God, I offer Thee Thy 
well-beloved Son by the hands of the priest." As much 
as to say: " My God, I am not worthy to ascend to Thy 



Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass. 307 



altar, and take the divine victim in my unconsecrated 
hands; therefore I do this in spirit; I place my hand in 
intention under the arm of the priest, and thus join with 
him in elevating the sacred host and the chalice." It is 
recorded of Henry I., King of England, that he heard 
three Masses every day, kneeling on the altar steps. 
When the officiating priest elevated the sacred elements, 
he loved to place his hand under the priest's arm, assist- 
ing him in the action. Thou canst not do the same ex- 
cept in intention; but God, Who reads the heart, will 
accept the will for the deed. 

The precious blood of Christ must be offered to God 
as well as the sacred host; this is a meritorious work, 
about which too much cannot be said. We read in the 
life of St. Magdalen of Pazzi that she was supernaturally 
taught that the oblation of Christ's blood was most effi- 
cacious in turning away the divine anger, provoked by 
the transgressions of mankind. In fact, God complained 
to her of the little done by man to appease His wrath, 
and exhorted her to do her utmost with this aim. She 
therefore was accustomed many times — no less than fifty 
times a day — to offer the sacred blood of Christ for the 
living and the dead. And repeatedly it was granted her 
to see souls whom she had been instrumental in convert- 
ing, or of releasing from purgatory, by this oblation of 
the precious blood. 

She used also to say that it was much to be feared 
that the impenitence of sinners is to be attributed to our 
apathy. For if we were more zealous in offering the 
blood of Christ to God on their behalf. He would doubt- 
less, moved by our prayers, have preserved them from 
eternal reprobation; and she admonished all Christians 
constantly to make this oblation of Our Lord's passion 
and His precious blood for the erring and the sinful. 
Let us remember this, for it places within our reach an 



3o8 Great Merit Gained through Offering Holy Mass. 

easy means of appeasing the wrath of God, of converting 
sinners, relieving the suffering souls, expiating our own 
wrong-doing. At no time, as we have already said, 
can this oblation of the precious blood be made so op- 
portunely, so effectually, as during the celebration of 
holy Mass. It is then offered not only by word, but in 
deed, for the sacred blood is truly and actually there in 
the chalice and is offered up by the priest not only in 
his own name, but in that of the whole Church, and 
more especially of those who are present. Each one, 
therefore, who says: " O Lord, I offer Thee this sacred 
blood by the hands of the priest," offers that which the 
priest elevates in the chalice, and merits far more than 
if he uttered the same words at some other time. 

St. Magdalen of Pazzi also speaks of the incalculable 
value of such an oblation. " When the Christian," she 
says, *^ offers this precious blood to God the Father, he 
offers a gift beyond all recompense. It is a gift of such 
infinite worth that by it the Creator is laid under an 
obligation to His creature." This sounds like an exag- 
geration, but it is not so, for what is there in heaven or 
on earth to compare with the precious blood of Christ ? 
One single drop is worth more than oceans of the blood 
of martyrs. St. Thomas of Aquin tells us that one sin- 
gle drop would have been enough to redeem the whole 
world. Hence it follows that if, for this oblation, God 
were to grant thee the remission of thy sins, it would 
be no adequate recompense, since by one drop the guilt 
of all the sinners on earth can be cleansed away, and 
even if for the sake of it He were to give thee heaven 
itself, this would still be no equivalent, since this sacred 
blood is able to purchase the eternal salvation of all 
mankind. Thus God would remain thy debtor. 

If thou hadst been present upon Mount Calvary, and 
hadst caught some drops of the blood that flowed from 



Hints as to the Hearing of Several Masses at Once. 309 

the Saviour's wounds, and oifered them to God the Father 
with steadfast faith, fervent love, and heartfelt contri- 
tion, wouldst thou not have felt confident that thy sins 
would be forgiven, and the penalty due to them remitted ? 
Well, that which took place on Calvary is enacted mys- 
tically in holy Mass; Christ exhibits Himself to His 
Father as He hung upon the cross, and the blood from 
His sacred wounds flows into the chalice. Do thou in 
spirit take this same blood in thy hand, and present it to 
God with the like fervor as thou wouldst have done on 
Calvary, and be assured thou wilt gain nothing less than 
thou wouldst then have gained. For what sin is so hei- 
nous that it cannot be forgiven, what stain so dark that 
it cannot be purged away, what debt so heavy but it can- 
not be remitted, for the sake and by the power of that 
precious blood ? It is more than sufficient to blot out, 
to expiate, to cancel the iniquities, the debts of all man- 
kind. Put thy trust, therefore, in this sacred blood, and 
offer it to thy God in holy Mass with all the fervor of 
thy heart. Call the holy angels to thy aid, and implore 
them to offer it on thy behalf before the throne of God, 
and obtain for thee the remission of thy sins. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

SOME PRACTICAL HINTS CONCERNING THE WAY 

OF HEARING SEVERAL MASSES AT ONE 

AND THE SAME TIME. 

TV/TANY persons are of opinion that nothing more is 

gained by hearing two or more Masses at one and 

the same time than if one alone is heard. In this they are 

much mistaken, as I will now proceed to show. I do not 



3IO Hints as to the Hearing of Several Masses at Once, 

intend to say that if one has promised to hear two or more 
Masses for some definite intention, or if they have been 
enjoined on one as a penance, more than one can be 
heard at once* what I do say is that two or more Masses, 
heard of one's own free will, may be heard simulta- 
neously with as much profit and advantage as if they 
were heard consecutively. 

It may here be well to recall what was said in the 
twenty-second chapter, that every priest is bound to pray 
in the Mass for all who are present, and to offer the holy 
sacrifice for them. If only one priest stands at the altar, 
he alone prays for thee; whereas if there are other priests 
celebrating Mass at the different altars, they also pray 
for thee, and thus thou hast the benefit of more prayers 
than if thou heardst but one Mass. 

Moreover, in the same twenty-second chapter it was 
said that the holy angels, who are always present at Mass, 
pray earnestly for the congregation. The more Masses 
that are said the greater the number of angels who are 
present, and consequently the greater number of inter- 
cessors who pray for thee. 

Furthermore, it was stated that Christ, as the great 
high priest, intercedes in every Mass that is celebrated 
for His Church, and especially for all who assist at the 
Mass, for each of whom He offers the sacrifice of Him- 
self. Yes, He makes Himself the advocate of each one 
individually. He lays the needs of each one in particu- 
lar before God, and for each one He offers His sacred 
body and blood. As He suffered for all mankind in 
general, so He suffered for each individual; as St. Paul 
says: "The Son of God loved me and delivered Himself 
for me." (Gal. ii. 20.) Every Christian may take upon 
his lips these words of the Apostle: each one is war- 
ranted in saying that Christ died as much for him alone 
^s for the whole human race. As it was in the sacrifice 



Hints as to the Hearing of Several Masses at Once, 3 1 1 

of the cross, so it is in the sacrifice of the altar, wherein 
Christ intercedes for all in general and for each one in 
particular. 

Wherefore, if thou dost assist at one Mass, in that Mass 
Christ certainly pleads for thee. If, however, two or 
more are said at one and the same time, in each of these 
He pleads for thee. He grants thee a share in His merits, 
He nourishes thee spiritually with His sacred body and 
blood, He bestows on thee a greater degree of grace 
here and of glory hereafter, He gives thee His heavenly 
benediction. In all these and other spiritual favors thou 
art made partaker in every Mass thou hearest, if thou 
art in a state of grace; and the more Masses thou hearest 
the more those favors are multiplied. Consequently it 
is most advantageous to thee to hear several at once, and 
thou shouldst rejoice whenever it is within thy power 
to do so. 

The reader may now ask what it behooves him to do in 
order to participate in many Masses at the same time. 
Let him observe that it does not suffice to be present 
while several Masses are being said unless he unites his 
intention to each one; that is to say, he must adore Christ 
on each altar, and offer Him to God the Father with the 
desire to hear each Mass severally. When, therefore, 
thou seest the priest go up to the altar, say in thy heart: 
"I will hear this Mass and offer it as an oblation to 
God '*; and repeat this whenever another Mass is begun. 
And if, when thou enterest the church, several Masses are 
going on, make a general intention to assist at them all. 

At the commencement of the Mass one's daily prayers, 
the Rosary, or confraternity prayers may be said up to the 
time of the consecration. Then it is well to leave those ori- 
sons, and make an act of faith in the presence of Christ 
upon the altar, to adore Him in all humility when the 
priest genuflects, to implore His mercy at the elevation, 



312 Hints as to the Hearing of Several Masses at Once, 

and during the consecration of the chalice devoutly offer 
to God the sacrifice of His Son. The same may be done 
at the elevation of the chalice. After that we may pro- 
ceed with our private devotions till another priest comes 
to the consecration; they should then be again broken off, 
to give place to acts of adoration and oblation. This 
should be done whenever the sacred elements are conse- 
crated and elevated at any of the altars; for our bounden 
duty requires that we should adore our God present on 
the altar, and our own interest demands that we should 
offer to God the Father this precious gift, for which a rich 
recompense awaits us. 

It may perhaps be urged that if we are in the church 
while several Masses are being said, and we stop our or- 
dinary prayers whenever we hear the bell ring for the 
consecration, we shall never get them done. I answer 
that nothing will be lost by this if meanwhile we hear 
several Masses; on the contrary, we shall be the gainers, 
as will be seen from the following parable: A vine- 
dresser who was digging up his vineyard found to his sur- 
prise a treasure hidden in the ground. He carried it 
home without saying a word about it; then he returned 
to his work. Presently he discovered another, and, once 
more laying down his spade, he carried it to his house. 
Again he went back, and resumed his labor; and again, 
before he had been at work many minutes, he found 
some more coins. Away he went at once to his house, 
highly elated, eager to acquaint his wife with his good 
fortune. But she said: " I do not see any cause for re- 
joicing, for if you go on in this way our vineyard will 
never be dug, and we shall have no grapes next season." 
" On the contrary," her husband replied, " would to God 
I could find nothing but these treasures; then I should 
not trouble myself about the vineyard any more, for they 
would bring me in ten times more than my yineyard at 



Hints as to the Hearing of Several Masses at Once, 313 

its best." Whoso considers this parable will be con- 
vinced that by repeatedly offering Our Lord at the con- 
secration we shall profit incomparably more than by 
reciting our ordinary prayers, and that it is better to 
omit them rather than the oblation of one single Mass, if 
we have not time for both. 

Furthermore, let it be observed that if, on entering the 
church, we find that the priest has already got to the 
Pater noster^ or the Agnus Dei^ or perhaps to the com- 
munion, it is well to kneel down at once and say the 
prayers thou dost usually say at the consecration, until 
the priest takes the ablutions, for thus thou shalt to a 
great extent share in the fruits of the Mass. And if two 
priests should reach the consecration at the same time, 
recite thy accustomed prayer with the intention of ador- 
ing Christ present on both altars at the same moment. 
And if thou art where thou canst not see the priest, thou 
canst hear his Mass equally well, provided thou dost notice 
when the bell is rung for the consecration, and dost make 
an act of adoration and of oblation. And even if thou 
canst not hear the bell, it is yet possible to participate in 
the Mass, if it be thy intention to hear all the Masses 
that are said at the time. Furthermore, if, when about 
to leave the church, thou shouldst notice that one of the 
priests has just got to the consecration, wait until after the 
elevation, in order to worship the sacred body and blood 
of Christ, and offer them to God the Father. Thus thou 
wilt gain a spiritual treasure, which, unless thou shouldst 
die in mortal sin, will be thine to enjoy to all eternity. 

In illustration of this subject a story shall be given 
from the legend of St. Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal. 
This royal lady had a favorite page, whose father had, 
when dying, enjoined upon him these two things: to 
hear Mass daily, and serve the king faithfully. The 
youth had observed his f^ther'3 precepts, and endeare4 



314 Hints as to the Hearing of Several Masses at Once, 

himself to the queen by his piety, so that she often gave 
him wise counsel, and sent him to distribute alms to the 
poor of Lisbon. The manner in which she preferred him 
to the other pages attached to the court, whose dissolute 
manners she abhorred, awoke their jealousy, and led them 
to slander him to the king most shamefully. The king 
believed these calumnies, and thought of a plan for getting 
rid of the young man secretly. One day he rode out to a 
chalk-pit at a little distance from the town, and calling 
to the chalk-burner, told him that if, early the next 
morning, some one came to him, and asked him if he had 
fulfilled the king's behest, he was immediately to throw 
him into the flaming kiln. "And if,*' the king added, 
" you dare to disobey, I will have you cast into the fire in- 
stead of him." The chalk-burner promised to comply 
with the orders given him, and his royal visitor de- 
parted. The next morning, at a very early hour, the 
king summoned the page in question to his presence, 
and bade him go w^ith all speed to the chalk-kiln outside 
the city gates, and ask whether the orders given by the 
king on the preceding day had been executed. On re- 
ceiving the answer he was to return to the palace with- 
out delay. The page hastened on his way, regretting 
sorely, as he passed out of the gates, that he had not, as 
was his habit, heard Mass that day, for he feared that he 
would not have the opportunity of doing so. However, 
his road led him past several churches, each of which he 
entered, and thus heard portions at least of several 
Masses. Meanwhile the king was anxious to learn 
whether his messenger had met with the fate decreed for 
him. In order to ascertain this he despatched one of the 
other pages, a godless young fellow, to ask the chalk- 
burner whether his commands had been carried out. 
Guessing what this errand signified, and exulting over 
it, th^ yoti^g scoundrel sped along so quickly that he 



Hints as to the Hearing of Several Masses at Once, 315 

reached the kiln before his pious comrade. Breathlessly 
he inquired of the chalk-burner whether the king's bid- 
ding was done. *' Not yet," the man replied, " but 
I will do it now." So saying he seized the unhappy 
youth, bound him hand and foot, and, in spite of his 
struggles and expostulations, cast him into the kiln. 
Scarcely was the furnace-door closed when the other 
page arrived, and put the same question to the man. 
^* If you had come ten minutes sooner," was the reply, 
"you would have seen your comrade in the flames, al° 
though he protested all along that you were the one for 
whom this fate was destined." The young man was hor- 
rified at hearing this, for he had not the slightest idea 
what he had done wrong. When he returned to the 
palace, his royal master, astonished at his reappearance, 
asked him if he had not been to the chalk-kiln. The 
page fell at his feet, and told him all that had occurred. 
The king, convinced of his innocence, went with him 
to the queen, who explained that the reason why she had 
admitted the young man to her private apartments was 
in order that she might commission him to distribute her 
alms in secret. 

Imitate this pious youth in his desire to assist at the 
holy sacrifice, and pay due homage to the Saviour. We 
will now proceed to show how it is possible to hear, not 
one or two, but all the Masses that are being said all 
over Christendom while we are hearing one Mass, and 
derive profit from them all. 

It is alleged by some that the mere desire to benefit by 
all the Masses that are said or will be said is sufficient to 
make us participate in them. Others, on the contrary, 
say that, although this intention is commendable and 
even meritorious, we cannot share in the fruits of a Mass 
unless we in some way share in the act. This latter 
opinion appears to be th§ correct gne; for if it were 



31 6 Hints as to the Hearing of Several Masses at Once. 

possible to participate in all Masses merely by means >3f 
a pious intention, it would be quite superfluous to go to 
Mass except on days of obligation: we could enjoy the 
benefit of them in our own homes. 

However, it is certain that if any one, whilst assisting 
at Mass, fervently desires that it were possible for him 
to hear all the Masses celebrated at that time, if he begs 
to have a share in them, adores Christ present at once on 
so many altars, and offers the sacred victim to God the 
Father, he will infallibly be permitted to participate in 
their fruits. For in so far as he can he joins in offering 
each and all, and would only too gladly do more if it 
lay within his power. Can it be doubted that God, 
Who accepts the good will for the deed when the latter 
is ouv of a man's reach, will reward him as he desires ? 

If this really is so, how great is the recompense of one 
who hears holy Mass in this manner! For whilst assisting 
at one Mass he assists in spirit at all the Masses that are 
being offered at that time throughout the whole world. 
How great are the riches to be thus gained ! It is said 
that no less than 50,000 Masses are said simultaneously 
in one hour, and in every one of these we may obtain a 
share if we offer them in union with the one we are 
hearing. 

It may prove a consolation to religious who have not 
the opportunity of hearing more than one Mass, as well 
as to persons living in the world who are prevented by 
their daily avocations or other circumstances from spend- 
ing much time in the church, to know whilst hearing one 
Mass they may share in many thousands at which they 
cannot be present. Nay, more; those who find them- 
selves altogether precluded from attendance at Mass 
may, if they devoutly read the prayers for Mass at home, 
and in spirit follow all that are being offered at that 
hour, adoring Christ immgl^ted on §0 inany altars, profit 



An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily. 317 

much by those Masses though they cannot actually assist 
at them. For in intention they unite with the priests in 
offering them, and in the prayers the priest says for the 
people they are included. May the remembrance of 
this afford solace to many sick persons, and prisoners, 
and others who are not in a position to hear Mass. 

" Count thyself happy," says a pious writer, " when a 
priest promises thee a memento in his daily Mass. In 
fact, thou wouldst do well to ask this of every priest, for 
thus thou wouldst have many to offer for thee the holy 
sacrifice and unlock for thee the treasury of the merits 
of Christ. If thou dost earnestly desire to hear Mass, 
and yet art prevented, God accepts the will for the deed. 
And if thou wishest that thou couldst hear a Mass in 
Jerusalem or at Loreto, thou canst do this by assisting 
at one in spirit, and in intention drawing the waters of 
grace from that fountain. It may even be that by this 
means thou wilt obtain more grace than those who, 
though present in person in the holy place, do not raise 
their hearts to God. It is true Christ bestows His grace 
liberally on all who are present, but He gives a twofold 
measure to those who, absent through obedience, are 
present in spirit." 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
AN EXHORTATION TO HEAR HOLY MASS DAILY. 

V\rE may venture to hope that an attentive perusal of 
this book and careful consideration of the truths 
it contains will have awakened in the breast of the 
reader a fervent love for holy Mass, so that no further 
arguments will be needed to induce him to hear it daily. 



31 8 An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily, 

A few admonitions may, however, yet be added to kindle 
his zeal to a still hotter flame. 

In the first place, let me tell thee, O Christian, that no 
hour of the whole day is so precious as that wherein 
thou dost hear Mass, and offer that Mass to the ever- 
blessed Trinity. It is indeed a golden hour, for all that 
thou dost in cooperation with the holy sacrifice is 
changed to gold. The other hours of the day, in com- 
parison with it, may be likened to copper. It may be 
alleged that work is of greater importance than hearing 
Mass to those who earn their bread. To this I reply: 
Hearing Mass is more important than our work, because 
it contributes, largely to our eternal welfare. I do not 
say that a man should neglect his work altogether, but 
that he should spare half an hour from it for the service 
of his God: his work will get on all the better for it, for 
God will bless it more abundantly. Those who absent 
themselves from Mass out of indifference or for the sake 
of some temporal advantage change the hour that might 
be golden into one of lead, and sustain a loss incalcula- 
bly greater than any earthly loss, for in that hour they 
might have won a hundred times more than they could 
earn by a whole day's labor. Our Saviour teaches us 
this in those memorable w^ords of His: "What doth it 
profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the 
loss of his own soul?*' (St. Matt. xvi. 26.) By not 
going to Mass on week-days for the sake of temporal 
profit we do our soul an immeasurable injury for which 
no worldly wealth can compensate. Shall we, then, 
heedless of Our Lord's warning, throw away eternal 
riches for the things of time and sense ? 

If those who, being dependent on their own exettions, 
are accustomed to absent themselves from Mass on ac- 
count of some paltry gain, or an employment that ill re- 
pays their toil, would carefully consider these truths, they 



An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily. 319 

would surely alter their conduct, and spare a short time 
from their work just to hear Mass. How very little can 
be earned by the labor of one's hands in one brief half 
hour? How short-sighted, then, is the man or woman 
who prefers to lose the treasures contained in holy Mass 
rather than deprive himself or herself of a few half- 
pence ! By going to Mass they might earn treasures 
wherewith to purchase heaven; but they will renounce 
these if the least diminution of their wages is involved — 
not that I believe they would be the losers in the end, for 
God, of His divine bounty, would so prosper their work 
as to more than make up for the time they took from it. 
To this another reason may be added to show the folly 
of these people. If money dropped down from the 
clouds, would not every one hasten out to pick it up ? 
Those who stayed indoors and went on with their work 
would be the derision of their neighbors. Yet, of a 
truth, in every Mass, not earthly riches from the clouds, 
but celestial riches from heaven, are showered down 
on all who are present, and all are free to possess them- 
selves of them. But what are the riches which drop 
down from above? An increase of divine grace; an in- 
crease of merit and virtue; an increase of eternal glory; 
celestial consolations; the divine blessing in temporal af- 
fairs; the pardon of venial sins; the remission of a great 
part of the debt due to divine justice; a share in the in- 
finite merits of Christ. Grace and mercy, temporal wel- 
fare, and eternal salvation — such is the heavenly dew 
which distils from above. Are not these things more 
precious than refined gold ? Wherefore, if, on account of 
the slight trouble it costs us, or the trifling pecuniary 
sacrifice it entails, we omit going to Mass on week-days 
when we might do so, we are guilty of greater folly than 
those who would stay indoors at their work if gold were 
rained down from the clouds. 



^20 An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily, 

Clingius says: "Holy Mass, as the central act of re- 
ligion, takes precedence of all other devotions; if it be 
neglected, the fount of interior piety will run dry." Just 
as the sun surpasses all the planets, so the Mass sur- 
passes all other forms of worship. 

The light, the heat, the power of the sun are incompa- 
rably more useful to the earth than those of all the planets 
together. In like manner devout attendance at Mass is 
more pleasing to God, more profitable to thyself, more 
salutary for the living, more helpful to the dead, than all 
thy prayers and good works for the whole day. By these, 
it cannot be denied, thou dost indeed serve and please 
God; thou dost rejoice the angels and gain much 
merit for thyself; but by hearing Mass how much greater 
is the honor thou givest to God, the joy thou causest to 
the angels, the reward to which thou art entitled ! And 
all this with far less trouble to thyself. 

Supposing a man at work in the fields should find a 
treasure, and immediately leave off work, doing no more 
for the remainder of the day, would he not in the even- 
ing be a much richer man than his fellow-laborer who, 
though he toiled industriously all day long, only received 
his accustomed wages ? Assuredly he would. So it is 
with thy good works; however piously they are performed 
they will not, comparatively speaking, be of great merit. 
Whereas, if thou hearest Mass, thou findest a treasure, 
nothing less than Christ's merits, which are communicated 
to us in holy Mass, and in which we receive more than our 
thoughts can compass. Holy Mass is a gold mine; those 
who work it earn far more than if they labored in a stone- 
quarry; and in like manner those who hear Mass piously 
derive from it very much more spiritual wealth than others 
do from the performance of works of penance. The 
Church recognizes the Mass as the greatest of good works 
when she says: "We must needs confess that no other 



An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily. 321 

work can be performed by the faithful so holy and divine 
as this tremendous mystery." (Counc. Trent, Sess. xxii.) 
Since holy Mass is the most holy and divine, it must 
needs be the most meritorious and profitable, means of 
obtaining heavenly riches. Let every one beware how 
he allows himself to be prevented from going daily to 
Mass, for where would the man be found who would stay 
away if he could earn eight or ten pounds by going ? 
And what are ten pounds in comparison to the spiritual 
treasures which are the reward of those who hear Mass 
devoutly ? Compared with the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass, earthly gold is but a handful of sand ! 

We therefore earnestly and humbly entreat the reader to 
be regular in going to Mass every day, in so far as this is 
possible. Let us not forget that we are created to serve 
God to the best of our ability, and by our service to glorify 
Him, We cannot do this better than by hearing Mass, 
which is the highest act of worship, the one whereby He is 
most honored. We are bound to render to our God the 
thanks that are His due for all the benefits He has con- 
ferred on us, both bodily and spiritually. This cannot 
be done better than by hearing Mass, for it is the noblest 
of all thank-offerings. 

The object and end of our existence upon earth is 
to praise the Divine Majesty according to His great glory. 
This cannot be done better than by hearing Mass, for it 
is the most sublime sacrifice of praise. Our Lord has 
said: "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit 
shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire." (St. 
Matt. vii. 19.) We cannot bear fruit better than by 
hearing Mass in a state of grace, for it is the most perfect 
sacrifice of satisfaction. We daily stand exposed to the 
danger of falling into sin, of being overtaken by mis- 
fortune; we cannot guard against these perils better than 
by hearing Mass, for it is the most efficacious propitia- 



3^2 An Exhortation to Hear Holy Alass Daily. 

tory sacrifice. Death and the devil constantly dog our 
footsteps and lay in wait for us, desirous to snatch us 
away and precipitate us into hell; we cannot shield our- 
selves against their arrows better than by hearing Mass, 
for it is the surest protection against the evils that 
threaten us. Finally, let us not forget that in the hour 
of death we shall be in some need of the Saviour's 
assistance; there is no better means of assuring ourselves 
of this than by hearing Mass devoutly, for have we not 
heard how Christ Himself gave to one of His servants 
the promise that he would send for his solace and sup- 
port at his last moments as many blessed spirits as he 
had heard Masses with devotion during his lifetime ? 
Reflect upon these truths, and resolve from henceforth 
to hear Mass, if possible, every day. 

If it should be out of thy power to do this, have a 
Mass said for thy intention occasionally, in order thus to 
make amends for thine own shortcomings in God's ser- 
vice, and to cancel the punishment due to thy daily trans- 
gressions. If, perchance, thou lackest the means of doing 
this, give an alms, according to thy power, to some poor 
man, and let him hear Mass for thee. This he will do 
most readily, and make over to thee the amount of satis- 
faction for sins committed which he earns by hearing 
Mass. In this manner he obtains a special grace for 
thee from God, for thy welfare in time and in eternity. 

If it be asked whether one can really hear Mass on be- 
half of another person, I answer: Most undoubtedly; and 
to do so is very preferable to going to communion for 
some one else. Holy communion is essentially a sacra- 
ment, and the food of our souls. It is impossible to 
benefit another by partaking of food in his stead, and it 
is certain that we cannot receive a sacrament for another, 
nor can we transfer to another the nourishment, the 
grace, our soul receives in holy communion. Is there 



An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily. yi% 

nothing, then, that we can give to any one by going to com- 
munion for him ? Yes; all good works discharge a part of 
the temporal penalty due to sin, and holy communion, 
being a most sacred and excellent act, has considerable 
power to do so. We are free to renounce this benefit for 
ourselves, and to bestow it upon, assign it to, another 
person. Besides, as after holy communion we are pre- 
sumably in the grace of God, our prayers on behalf of 
another will be more fervent and more efficacious. 

It is otherwise in regard to hearing Mass, for it is 
especially instituted for the benefit of many, not of one 
alone. We have seen that the priest, in the canon of the 
Mass, prays thus: " Be mindful, O Lord, of Thy servants N. 
and N., and of all here present, for whom we offer, or who 
offer, up to Thee this sacrifice of praise for themselves, 
their families, and their friends.*' These words clearly 
indicate that all who assist at holy Mass offer it for 
themselves and for those who are related to them, and 
obtain great graces for them in virtue of that sublime 
sacrifice. In addition to this each one is empowered, 
and indeed ought, to give to the individual for whom he 
hears Mass the share in the merits and satisfaction of 
Christ to which devout attendance at Mass entitles him. 

THE EXAMPLE OF THE SAINTS IS AN INCENTIVE TO US 
TO HEAR MASS DAILY. 

The proverb says: "Example is more powerful than 
precept." If all the arguments hitherto urged have not 
had the effect of inducing the reader to make a practice 
of assisting at Mass every day, the example, which shall 
now be brought forward, of saints who, although their 
time was engrossed with weighty affairs, never failed to 
do so may perhaps have some influence. 

The ecclesiastical historian Baronius tells us that in 
the early ages of Christianity priests were at liberty to 



324 An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily. 

say as many Masses every day as they chose. The 
holy Pope Leo III. had recourse to the holy sacrifice in 
all his necessities, and was known, in times of affliction, 
to celebrate no less than nine Masses in one day, with 
great fervor and recollection. 

The saintly Bishop Ulrich was accustomed to say 
three Masses every day, unless prevented by sickness or 
stress of business. Since 1073 ^^^ practice of saying 
more Masses than one has been abolished, Christmas Day 
alone being excepted. 

St. Hedwige of Poland is said to have had a profound 
veneration for holy Mass. She always assisted at as 
many as she could; and if enough were not celebrated in 
the chapel attached to the palace to satisfy her devotion, 
she sent for other priests, recompensing them liberally 
for their trouble. Raynaldus records of St. Louis of 
France that he was in the habit of hearing two, three, 
sometimes even four Masses daily. His courtiers mur- 
mured at this, saying it was not right for the king to 
spend all the morning at prayer in the chapel instead of 
attending to state affairs and leaving Mass to the clergy. 
The king, hearing what they said, answered: "I wonder 
that you should complain of my hearing Mass, for not 
one of you would think me to blame if I spent twice as 
much time in hunting or playing dice." This was a very 
good answer, and it applies to many amongst ourselves 
as well as to the officials of King Louis' court. For in 
our blindness we imagine that it is a waste of time and 
loss of money to go to Mass on week-days. But if two 
or three hours are spent in idle conversation, at play, 
over our wine, or perhaps in sleep, we think that the time 
thus squandered has been most profitably employed. 
What an unfortunate delusion ! 

The same historian tells us that Henry L of England 
was also accustomed to hear three Masses every day, 



An Exhort at 1071 to Hear Holy Mass Daily. 325 

even when engrossed with urgent affairs of state. It is 
said that once, when he was talking with the King of 
France, the conversation turned upon hearing Mass; and 
the French king remarked that one ought not always 
to go to Mass, but to hear sermons as well. Henry I. 
courteously replied: " It is a greater pleasure to me to 
see my friend frequently than to hear others speak in 
his praise." With this opinion I who write this book 
fully coincide; in fact, I have often told people who 
asked me whether it was better to go to Mass or to hear 
sermons that to assist at Mass was by far the best. One 
ought not, however, to eschew sermons altogether, for 
they are very useful, and even necessary, especially in the 
case of hardened sinners, to awaken in them a sense 
and an abhorrence of sin. 

The Blessed Anthony of Stroncone delighted in 
hearing Mass above any other spiritual exercise. He 
assisted at the holy sacrifice, and served the Mass with 
such fervor and joy of heart that he forgot all about 
his meals. If Mass could have been celebrated all day 
long from early morn until night closed in, he would 
always have been present, without ever leaving the 
church. When he grew old, and his enfeebled limbs 
could hardly support him, he would still totter to the 
church in order to hear Mass, and this he did even when 
the hand of death was already upon him, for he rose 
from his bed to fill his accustomed place near the altar. 
Let us take example from this Franciscan brother, who 
was beatified in the year 1690, and be more zealous than 
ever in our attendance at holy Mass. 

We read in Baronius that the Roman Emperor Lothaire 
used to hear three Masses every day, even when he had 
to take the field against the enemy. Surius tells us that 
Charles V. invariably heard Mass every morning; only 
gnce in hi§ whole life did he omit to do so, in the 



326 An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily. 

campaign he made against Tunis. In the Roman 
breviary it is stated of St. Casimir that he was so 
carried out of himself during the time of Mass that he 
was thought to be in an ecstasy. 

The legend of St. Wenceslas tells us that when the 
Emperor Otho summoned all the princes and nobles of 
the realm to attend an imperial diet at Regensburg at a 
very early hour, Wenceslas, instead of betaking himself 
to the house of Assembly, went to Mass, and did not leave 
until the priest quitted the altar. Meanwhile the em- 
peror and the princes were waiting for him impatiently; 
at length, finding he did not come, the emperor said: 
"We will open the diet without Wenceslas; and when 
he comes let no one rise up or make room for him." 
Presently Wenceslas made his appearance, and the as- 
tonished monarch saw that he was accompanied by two 
angels. Rising from his throne, he hastened to meet 
him, and clasped him in his arms. The princes were angry 
when they saw the emperor receive Wenceslas in so very 
different a manner to that in which he had ordered them 
to receive him, but he answered their expostulations by 
telling them what he had seen, and that he felt compelled 
to show honor to one thus favored. In fact, he took the 
regal diadem from his own head, and then and there 
crowned Wenceslas first King of Bohemia. 

When we hear of all these kings and potentates who, 
although they were burdened with all the business that in 
those days belonged to the ruler of a kingdom, made it 
their practice always to hear one, if not more than one. 
Mass every day, how shall we excuse ourselves before 
God for neglecting to assist at the holy sacrifice on 
account of our less weighty, often trivial, occupations ? 
It is greatly to be feared that at the Last Judgment this 
awful sentence will be ours: "The unprofitable servant 
cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be 



An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily, yi'] 

weeping and gnashing of teeth." (St. Matt. xxv. 30,) 
But it may be asked: How could God condemn me 
for not hearing Mass, when there is no express command 
to hear it on week-days ? I reply: He will not condemn 
thee for neglecting to hear Mass on days that are not of 
obligation, but because thou hast been slothful in His 
service, and not made use of the talent confided to thee, 
of His grace, that is, which would be communicated to 
thee in holy Mass. 

Nor, when we neglect Mass, ought the loss to ourselves 
alone to be considered, but the loss to God and to the 
blessed in heaven. The injury done to them is thus 
expressed by the Venerable Bede: " If a priest, without 
committing mortal sin, neglects to celebrate Mass, he 
deprives the Most Holy Trinity of the honor which is Its 
due, he deprives the angels of a source of joy, the sin- 
ner of forgiveness, the just of assistance, the departed 
of relief, the whole Church of spiritual benefit, and him- 
self of a salutary medicine. See how much harm results 
from the indifference of one priest; the loss occasioned 
is almost as great if a layman fails to assist at the divine 
mysteries when it is in his power to do so." 

Many instances might be given in which neglect of 
Mass has met with condign punishment, but one inci- 
dent must suffice. In the year 1570 in the depth of 
winter three merchants journeyed together from Eugubo 
to Cisterno for the annual fair. Trade was good; they 
made a great deal of money. At the close of the fair (it 
was a Saturday night) one of them said to the others 
before retiring to rest, for all three had taken up their 
quarters at the same inn: '* We must start to-morrow 
morning long before daybreak in order to reach home 
before nightfall.'' One of his companions acceded to 
the proposal; the third negatived it, saying that as it 
would be Sunday they had much better hear Mas? 



328 An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily, 

before setting out, and then go on their way with 
the blessing of God. But the others would not be 
persuaded; so he let them begin their journey without 
him. As soon as he had been to Mass, and taken a 
hasty breakfast, he mounted his horse and rode quickly 
after them. Now, when the two merchants had got 
about two miles on their way, they came to a wooden 
bridge which spanned a wide river. Just as they were 
crossing it the stream, much increased in volume by 
recent rains, carried away the supports of the bridge, 
and they were both precipitated into the water. The 
two horses swam to shore, but their riders, weighted by 
the bags of gold which they carried on their person, 
perished miserably. God grant that they did not lose 
their souls as well as their lives and their money. About 
an hour later the third merchant reached the spot, and 
was informed by the inhabitants of the fatality that had 
occurred. He was shocked to see the bodies of his two 
friends, which had been recovered by the peasantry, 
laid out on the bank of the river. It was impossible 
not to recognize in this event the just judgment of God, 
and he gave hearty thanks to Providence for having 
preserved him from a watery grave for the sake of the 
holy sacrifice at which he had assisted. He arrived in 
safety at home, and it was his painful duty to acquaint 
the families of the two other merchants with the sad 
tidings he brought. The terrible fate that overtook these 
men ought to be a useful lesson to us never to miss Mass 
on Sundays or holydays on account of any worldly advan- 
tage. Many men of business do this without the least 
scruple, but they are none the less guilty of mortal sin, 
since it is not permissible to allow ourselves to be 
deterred from hearing our Mass of obligation because of 
any temporal loss or inconvenience. 

Children whose parents keep them from Mass on holy^ 



An Exhortation to Hear Holy Mass Daily, 329 

days without absolute necessity should imitate St. Gene- 
vieve, the patron saint of Paris. When quite a child, as 
she was in the act of going to church on a holyday of obli- 
gation, her mother ordered her to remain at home to take 
care of the house. She answered: " Mother, I cannot miss 
Mass with a clear conscience; I would rather displease 
you than offend against God." The woman, irritated by 
this speech, struck her daughter a hard blow on the 
cheek, and scolded her harshly for her undutiful con- 
duct. Her punishment was not long delayed; the mother 
was struck with total blindness, and thus she remained 
for two years, until she acknowledged how wrong she 
had been, and in answer to Genevieve's constant prayers 
her sight was restored to her. Thus children who are 
kept from going to Mass when it is of precept should 
respectfully represent to their parents that they are bound 
to obey God rather than man, 

It is the duty of masters and mistresses to exhort the 
members of their household to perform their religious 
duties and do what is right. If they neglect this, they are 
more to blame than they perhaps imagine, for St. Paul 
says: "If any man have not care of his own, and espe- 
cially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and 
is worse than an infidel." (i, Tim. v. 8.) These words 
are forcible and may well alarm us, for St. Chrysostom 
expounds the word " care " as having reference to the 
spiritual, not the physical welfare of their dependents. 
And if the head of a household who neglects to provide 
his children and domestics with the food and clothing 
necessary for their bodies is to be counted as a heathen 
or unbeliever, how much more will he deserve to be re- 
garded by Almighty God as one who denies the faith 
and worse than an infidel, if he is utterly indifferent to 
their spiritual needs. 



330 -^^ Exhortation to Hear Mass Devoutly, 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

AN EXHORTATION TO HEAR MASS DEVOUTLY. 

TT is greatly to be deplored that Christian people have 
so little devotion for holy Mass, and assist at it with 
indifference and carelessness. For the most part such 
persons are so distracted that they look at every one who 
comes in or goes out, they pray with the lips only, and 
even after the consecration are too idle to remain on 
their knees, as if they really did not believe in the holy 
sacrifice. Observing the conduct of these professing 
Christians, one cannot but feel grieved that miserable 
mortals should not show more respect to the Lord their 
God, Who works such wonders in their sight upon the 
altar. 

The Church teaches us with what reverence we ought 
to assist at holy Mass, in the words which have already 
been quoted: "If we must needs confess that no other 
work can be performed by the faithful so holy and divine 
as this tremendous mystery, ... it is also sufficiently 
clear that all industry and diligence is to be applied to 
this end, that it be performed with the greatest possible 
inward cleanness and purity of heart, and outward show 
of devotion and piety." (Counc. Trent, Sess. xxii. De- 
cree concerning the celebration of Mass.) It is not 
necessary to have any sensible devotion, it is enough if 
one has a fervent desire to assist at this sacred oblation 
with due attention and profound reverence. 

Let not the reader be over-anxious and troubled if he 
fail to experience the fervor and recollection he would 
fain have when present at holy Mass, but let him perse- 



An Exhortation to Hear Mass Devoutly, 331 

vere in prayer, deeming himself unworthy of the grace 
of devotion. It is quite different if one has no devotion 
or even the wish for it, for in that case one loses a great 
deal and deprives one's self of the merit and consolation 
that might be his. 

It is said that one day while St. Mechtilde was hearing 
Mass, she beheld Christ seated upon a lofty throne of 
crystal, from the base of which two streams of clear and 
sparkling water gushed forth. While she wondered within 
herself what these two rivulets could signify, it was 
revealed to her that one represented the forgiveness of 
sin, the other consolation and sensible devotion : graces 
communicated in a special manner through the virtue 
of Christ's bodily presence to all who were present at 
holy Mass, and obtained with far greater facility at that 
time than at any other. Consider well these words which 
indicate to us the privileges accruing to us in conse- 
quence of Our Lord's presence on our altars. St. Mech- 
tilde proceeds to relate how, at the moment of the eleva- 
tion of the host, she saw Christ rise up from the crystal 
throne and hold His sacred Heart aloft with both hands. 
This Heart was transparent, and appeared full of healing 
balm, which overflowed all around, without, however, 
suffering any diminution. The hearts- of all the people 
who were present hovered below: some filled with oil and 
balm burnt brightly; others were empty and were kindled 
by no flame. The saint was told that the hearts that 
burnt thus brightly belonged to those who heard Mass 
gladly and piously; the others were the hearts of those 
who were cold and indifferent. 

What, then, are we to do if sometimes we feel no devo- 
tion at holy Mass, and cannot awaken any within our 
hearts ? We must follow the counsel Our Lord gave to 
St. Gertrude, concerning whom we read in her revela- 
tions that once when, despite all her efforts, she could 



332 An Exhortation to Hear Mass Devoutly, 

not help frequent distractions arising from human frailty 
whilst in choir, she said to herself: What possible use 
can these indevout prayers be ? It would be wiser not 
to say them at all. She was about to leave the choir, 
but at that moment Christ appeared to her, holding His 
Heart in both hands. " See," He said to her, " I place 
My loving Heart before thine eyes, that thou mayst com- 
mission it to accomplish all that thou canst not of thyself 
perform; then nothing will be wanting to it in My sight." 
At this the saint was much amazed; she thought it would 
he derogatory to the sacred Heart to supply her defi- 
ciencies. But Our Lord said to her: " If thou hadst a 
beautiful voice, and delightedst in singing, wouldst thou 
not be displeased if one whose voice was poor and weak 
would not allow thee to take her part ? So My Heart 
earnestly desires that thou wouldst, by sign if not by 
word, make Me thy substitute, to do perfectly what thou 
canst do but imperfectly." What a happy and com- 
forting doctrine is this ! It is indeed an easy method of 
filling up what is lacking to our devotion. Wherefore, if 
we are distracted at Mass and feel but little devotion, we 
will say to Our Lord: O sweet Jesus, I grieve from the 
bottom of my heart that I am so distracted at my 
prayers; I beseech Thy sacred Heart to supply what is 
wanting to them. 

In order to hear holy Mass devoutly, observe the fol- 
lowing rules: When preparing to go to Mass, bethink 
thyself where thou art going, and what thou art about to 
do. Thou art not going up to the temple to pray like 
the Pharisee and the Publican, but with David, to offer 
sacrifices, as he says in the fifty-third Psalm," I will freely 
sacrifice to Thee "; and in the one hundred and fifteenth 
Psalm (7, 8), " O Lord, for I am Thy servant, I am Thy 
servant, I will sacrifice to Thee the sacrifice of praise, and 
will call upon the name of the Lord," " Hearing Mass 



An Exhortation to Hear Mass Devoutly. 333 

is not so much a prayer as an act of worship and sacrifice, 
an offering of the divine oblation. For all who assist at 
holy Mass in the right manner ought to unite with the 
priest in his sacrificial act. " The same writer whose words 
we quote proceeds to explain what is meant by the terms 
he employs. " To make or offer a sacrifice is the highest 
act or exercise of any of the moral virtues. For when we 
offer sacrifice, we intend to show by our oblation that God 
is the supreme Lord, to Whom infinite honor and glory 
belong, and that we are His subjects, of whom He can 
dispose according to His good pleasure. Consequently, 
sacrifice is of all meritorious works the one most pleas- 
ing to God and the most profitable to man." 

Consider how excellent a work thou dost perform 
when thou offerest sacrifice, and make it thy aim to do 
this as perfectly as possible, since so much depends upon 
its being offered worthily. At the commencement of 
the Mass it is well to make a firm resolution to profit as 
much as possible by it. If there are any prayers which 
we have promised ourselves or others to recite, they 
may be said independently of the Mass until the conse- 
cration; then these private devotions should be sus- 
pended, in order that we may join with the priest in 
adoring Jesus Christ, and offering Him as an oblation to 
God the Father. By employing one's self in this manner 
after the consecration the greatest benefit will be derived 
from hearing Mass. 

Some people say they have a scruple about omitting 
their daily prayers in order to follow the Mass. They 
ought rather to have scruples about neglecting the 
prayers of the Mass for their ordinary devotions, since 
the former are much more important than the latter. 
They may be compared respectively to gold and copper; 
besides, our daily prayers may be said at any time, while 
the prayers of the Mass only have their full value when 



334 ^^ Exhortation to Hear Mass Devoutly, 

said while the holy sacrifice is being offered. Even if 
the prayers we are accustomed to say every day were 
entirely onaitted for once we should not be anything like 
as much the losers as if the acts of adoration and obla- 
tion were not made during Mass. For, as holy Mass 
surpasses all other devotions and spiritual exercises, so 
the prayers which include the act of oblation exceed in 
value all other forms of prayer. 

At the Confiteor strike thy breast three times, and 
awaken contrition and sorrow for sin, as far as thou art 
able. Consider how Christ lay prostrate upon His face 
in the Garden of Olives, expiating thy sins with bitter 
tears and sweat of blood. Then continue thy ordinary 
prayers. At the Sanctus bow thyself down and adore the 
Most Holy Trinity in all humility: for the words of the 
Sanctus are most venerable, they are uttered as the 
prophet Isaias tells us (ch. vi. 3) by the seraphim in 
heaven, and when spoken by the priest, a bell is rung to 
warn the congregation to assume a posture of reverence. 
After the Sanctus comes the Canon. This portion of 
the Mass is read in a low voice, out of respect for the 
sacred mysteries. The apostle James teaches us in his 
liturgy, what our behavior should be at this solemn 
moment. " Let everyone," he says, ** keep silence and 
tremble with awe, and withdraw his thoughts from 
earthly things, for the King of kings, the Lord of lords, 
is about to come, to be immolated upon the altar and 
given as food to the faithful. The choirs of angels go 
before Him in majesty and might, covering their faces 
and singing canticles of joy and exultation." 

St. Bridget describes how on one occasion she heard, 
at the time of the consecration, the stars of the firma- 
ment and all the powers of heaven making sweet melody 
as they moved in their appointed courses. This har- 
mony resounded far and wide; with it were mingled the 



An Exhortation to Hear Mass Devoutly. 335 

voices of innumerable celestial spirits, chanting in tones 
of ineffable sweetness ; the angelic choirs paid lowly 
reverence to the priest; the devils trembled with fear 
and fled in dismay. 

Who can hear without astonishment the preparation 
made in the celestial spheres when the moment of con- 
secration approaches in order that this wondrous mira- 
cle, this tremendous mystery, may be worthily celebrated! 
Yet we insignificant mortals assist at the divine mysteries 
with little or no reverence; we think little of their super- 
natural character, and regard the transubstantiation of the 
bread and wine as an ordinary, every-day occurrence. 
Were God to open our eyes as He opened the eyes of 
some of His saints, what marvels should we behold, what 
sublime proceedings should we witness ! We should see 
the whole heaven engaged in preparing for the reenact- 
ment of the Saviour's life. His passion, and His death. 
We should see, to our joy and amazement, sun, moon, 
and stars lend their brilliance to the scene; the hosts of 
heaven, the choirs of angels with their entrancing melo- 
dies, add glory to the solemn drama. Could we see 
what is now invisible, we should, as St. James says, 
tremble and stand in awe, oblivious of this world and its 
fleeting joys. 

Hitherto we have only spoken of what precedes the 
consecration; we will now speak of that sacred act itself. 
When the moment comes for this incomprehensible 
mystery to take place, the gates of heaven roll back, and 
the Son of God, clothed in majesty, descends in person 
to renew the work of our redemption. He has conde- 
scended, in His revelations to St. Mechtilde, to explain 
the manner in which He comes. 

** In the first place, I come with such profound humility 
that there is no one so insignificant present at holy Mass 
to whom I will not stoop, to whom I will not go, if only 



33^ An Exhortatio'i to Hear Mass Devoutly. 

he is desirous to receive Me. In the second place, I 
come with such untiring patience that there is no one, 
even be he My worst enemy, whose presence I do not 
tolerate; nay, whose offences I will not willingly forgive, 
provided he wishes to be reconciled to Me. Thirdly, I 
come with such abundant charity that there is no one, 
howsoever cold and hardened, whose heart, if he so 
crave, I will not kindle and soften with My love. 
Fourthly, I come with such kindness and generosity that 
I am ready to make the most destitute abound in riches. 
Fifthly, I bring with me food so sweet to the palate that 
all who hunger and thirst may be refreshed and satisfied. 
Sixthly, I come resplendent with light so brilliant that 
no heart can be so blind, so wrapped in darkness, as 
not to be enlightened and purified by My presence. 
Seventhly, I come with such plenitude of sanctity and 
graces that there is none so slothful, so listless, so inde- 
vout, whom I cannot arouse from his stupor." 

Well were it for us carefully to consider in what a 
sweet and gentle manner our dear Lord comes down 
from heaven to us in holy Mass; how earnestly He longs 
to raise the abject, to make peace with the hostile, to 
soften the obdurate, to enrich the poor, to feed the hun- 
gry, to enlighten the ignorant, to encourage the faint 
hearted. In holy Mass He fulfils the words He spoke 
of Himself: " The Son of man is come to seek and to 
save that which was lost." (St. Luke xix. lo.) And 
again: "God sent not His Son into the world to judge 
the world, but that the world may be saved by Him." 
(St. John iii. 17.) He comes to us in holy Mass, not for 
the chastisement or condemnation of sinners, but to 
restore them to grace, to visit them with His mercy. 
There is no occasion for the sinner to feel apprehension 
about going to Mass: he will not meet his Judge there, 
but his Advocate. Far from adding sin to sin, if he hears 



An Exhortation to Hear Mass Devoutly. 337 

Mass while in mortal sin, he gives himself a chance there- 
by of returning to a state of grace, through the loving- 
kindness of our God. And if, through the frailty of our 
nature, we are distracted and inattentive at Mass, this is 
no great sin, Especially if previously we made a resolution 
to be attentive at our devotions. 

Now we must direct our thoughts to the consecration 
itself, and ask ourselves what the sacred humanity of 
Christ may be supposed to feel on beholding itself mul- 
tiplied a hundredfold by virtue of the words of consecra- 
tion, and hidden under the form of the host. Our Lord 
does not behold Himself as a man beholds himself in a 
mirror, for the man only contemplates his external linea- 
ments, whereas Christ sees His personal presence multi- 
plied, as it were another self, while He Himself remains 
the same. Nevertheless He beholds Himself in two places, 
nay, in many places, for He is present on thousands of 
altars at once, everywhere, in fact, where the act of tran- 
substantiation takes place. Thus His joy doubtless is 
also increased. This is a mystery which no human intel- 
ligence can fathom, nor can a created nature appreciate 
its ineffable sweetness. 

St. Bridget, who was permitted to witness in spirit 
what went on in the heights of heaven during the conse- 
cration, says that she saw the sacred host, under the 
appearance of a living lamb, enveloped in flames, sur- 
rounded by angels, countless in number as the motes in 
the sunbeam, adoring and serving Him, as did also an 
innumerable multitude of the blessed. What a glorious 
festival, O my God, must that have been at which thou- 
sands of angels and blessed spirits assisted. There was 
not one too many, not one unnecessary, not one unem- 
ployed. How were they occupied ? In adoring and 
serving the Lamb. 

Could we but see for once what passes upon our altars 



33^ An Exhortation to Hear Mass Devoutly. 

at the time of the consecration, we should indeed tremble 
and stand in awe. Hear what St. Francis says about it: 
" Let man be struck dumb, let the whole world tremble, 
the heavens themselves be amazed, when the Son of the 
living God lies upon the altar under the hand of the 
priest. O wonder of wonders ! The only-begotten Son 
of God, the Lord of all creation, abases Himself so 
deeply that for man's salvation He deigns to conceal 
Himself under the form of a morsel of bread ! " We 
think little of this because we do not see it with our 
bodily eyes; the angels, who look upon it, adore with 
trembling, as is said in the preface. The devils fly in 
terror at the sight of this great mystery. Just as when 
Christ spoke the words: " I am He " (St. John xviii. 5), 
His enemies, who had come to arrest Him, went back- 
ward and fell to the ground, so when the words are 
uttered: "This is My body," the devils turn and flee, 
and cease for a time to assail the souls of those who 
offer the holy sacrifice. 

From all that has been said it will be apparent how 
tremendous are the mysteries involved in the act of con- 
secration; and as we have seen how the angels and 
saints exert themselves to the utmost in the service of 
their Lord, is it not incumbent on us to do all that in us 
lies, to strive with all the powers of body and soul, that 
the divine oblation may bear in us the richest fruits ? Is 
it not reasonable that we Catholics should break off our 
ordinary prayers, that we should raise our eyes to the 
altar, make an act of lively faith, humbly adore the 
Lamb of God, offer Him from our hearts to His 
heavenly Father, and continue in such sentiments as long 
as He is present upon the altar ? 

And when the words of consecration have been 
spoken, let us imitate the priest: He genuflects imme- 
diately, adoring the God Whom he holds in his hands. 



Devotions to be Practised at the Elevation. 339 

Do thou do the same; bend low thy head, remembering 
that thy God is present before thee under the veil of the 
host, and pay Him profound homage. This is thy 
bounden duty, and reason, too, requires of thee that thou 
shovvest the honor that is due to thy sovereign Lord and 
God. Several passages of Holy Scripture tell us this: 
First of all, when the evangelist St. Matthew says of the 
three kings: " Entering into the house, they found the 
child with Mary His Mother, and falling down, they 
adored Him." (St. Matt. ii. 11.) When the man who 
was born blind heard from the lips of Christ that He 
was the Son of God, "" falling down, he adored Him." 
(St. John ix. 2>^,) When the eleven disciples saw Our 
Lord on the mountain in Galilee, we read that they 
adored Him. (St. Matt, xxviii. 17.) Let us do likewise 
when we see the priest genuflect in adoration; it is in- 
cumbent on us to do so, and if we fail in what is so evi- 
dently our duty, we shall incur the guilt of sin. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

THE DEVOTIONS TO BE PRACTISED AT THE 
ELEVATION. 



T 



HE elevation is the central ceremony of holy Mass. 
It was appointed by the special inspiration of the 
Holy Ghost, and has been performed by the Church in 
all times with profound reverence, to the great edifica- 
tion of the faithful. How solemn and sublime a cere- 
mony when the sacred host and the consecrated chalice 
are lifted up above the altar ! Songs of joy resound in 
the courts of heaven; the earth is visited with salva- 
tion; the souls in purgatory experience a mitigation of 
their pains; hell trembles and is afraid. How glorious 



340 Devotions to he Practised at the Elevation, 

a gift, how excellent an oblation, does the priest present 
to the Most Holy Trinity when he elevates the sacred 
host, and sends it up to heaven by the hands of the 
angels ! How gratifying is this sight to the most high 
God ! How gladly does He contemplate the wondrous 
mage of His well-beloved Son ! 

What is it, then, which the priest places before God 
the Father at the elevation? It is the divinized human- 
ity of His only-begotten Son. It is the perfect likeness 
of the ever-blessed Trinity. It is a jewel costly beyond 
all compare. Not in one shape alone, but in many, is 
this God made man placed by the priest before the eyes 
of the Eternal Father. He shows Him to His Father 
once more become incarnate, born anew into this world; 
He shows Him to His Father in His sweat of blood, torn 
by scourges, crowned with thorns, crucified and slain. 
He shows Him to His Father reconciling God and man, 
redeeming the human race, discharging the sinner's debt, 
pleading from the cross for transgressors. He shows to 
God the Father the unsullied purity, the profound hu- 
mility, the unconquerable patience, the fervent charity, 
the perfect obedience, all the virtues which His divine 
Son practised upon earth, thereby rendering Him the most 
exalted service and giving Him the greatest satisfaction. 
With what joy does God the Father behold this solemn 
elevation, this vivid image, of His only-begotten Son ! 

But it is not the priest alone who performs this act: 
Christ places Himself before the eyes of God the Father, 
and offers Himself to Him in so sublime a manner that 
no created intelligence is capable of comprehending it. 
We read in the revelations of St. Gertrude that she was 
privileged to see this during the elevation of the sacred 
host: Christ standing before His Father, and making the 
oblation of Himself for the faithful in a manner past 
human comprehension. 



Devotions to be Practised at the Elevation. 341 

St. Bonaventure places these words on the lips of both 
priest and people: " Behold, O Eternal Father, this Thy 
only-begotten Son, Whom all the world cannot contain, 
is now a prisoner in our hands. We will not surrender 
Him to Thee until for His sake Thou grant us what we 
earnestly request from Thee. We implore forgiveness 
of our sins, remission of our debts, an increase of grace, 
abundance of virtue, and the bliss of the world to come." 
And the priest may at the elevation speak thus in all 
justice to the people: "Behold, O Christians, here is 
your Saviour, your Redeemer, your Sanctifier. Contem- 
plate Him with sincere faith, pour out your hearts to Him. 
* Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you 
see/ (St. Luke x. 23.) Happy indeed are the eyes that 
gaze with reverence on this sacred host, and firmly be- 
lieve that Jesus is hidden under this lowly form." Each 
of us can then say with the patriarch Jacob: " I have 
seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved." 
(Gen. xxxii. 30.) We have indeed a better right to em- 
ploy these words than Jacob had, for he had only seen 
an angel sent from God, whilst we gaze upon the Saviour 
Himself, concealed under the appearance of bread. Be- 
lieve firmly that it is in very truth thy Saviour, and pay 
Him the reverence due to Him, and it will be for thy 
salvation; thou canst then say with Jacob: " I have 
seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved." 

At the elevation the faithful should raise their eyes to 
the altar and gaze reverently at the Adorable Sacrament. 
This is pleasing to God and profitable to one's own soul, 
as Christ condescended to reveal to one of His saints in 
these words: '* As often as any one looks in devout ado- 
ration at the sacred host or, being unable, wishes that he 
could do so, his reward in heaven is increased, and he is 
entitled to a special degree of bliss in the enjoyment of 
the beatific vision," This is indeed a rich recompense 



342 Devotions to be Practised at the Elevation, 

for our devout contemplation of the sacred host; let us 
not lose it by our own neglect. 

How much w^e may profit from thus fixing our devout 
gaze upon the sacred host may be gathered from one of 
the types of the Old Testament. In the twenty-first 
chapter of Numbers we read that when the people mur- 
mured against God and against Moses the Lord sent 
among them fiery serpents, which bit them and killed 
many of them. The people in their alarm came to Moses, 
asking his help, and he prayed for them. And the Lord 
said to him: " Make a brazen serpent, and set it up for a 
sign; whosoever being struck shall look on it shall live." 
In obedience to this command Moses made a brazen ser- 
pent, and set it up upon a high staff, and those who w^ere 
bitten were healed by looking at it. We know this brazen 
serpent to have been a type of Christ, from His own 
words: " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, 
so must the Son of man be lifted up." (St. John iii. 14.) 
Now, if looking upon that serpent of brass was efficacious 
to preserve from death the Jews w^ho were bitten by the 
venomous serpents, how much more will the pious, look- 
ing at Christ Himself when He is lifted up in the holy 
Mass, heal souls suffering from the fatal poison of sin, 
console the afflicted, strengthen the faint-hearted ! 

When the sacred host is lifted up in our sight, it is 
above all things necessary to awaken a lively faith in the 
real, personal presence of our blessed Lord in the sacred 
host, as our Creator and our Redeemer, making the 
oblation of Himself to God the Father for us miserable 
sinners. 

This exercise of faith is highly meritorious, because we 
believe that which is contrary to the evidence of our 
senses, above the grasp of our understanding. How much 
we merit by this act of faith Christ Himself tells us: 
" Blessed are they that have not seen, and have be- 



Devotions to be Practised at the Elevation. 343 

lieved." (St. John xx. 29.) That is to say: Those who, 
though they are unable to see Me in the Adorable Sacra- 
ment, yet firmly believe Me to be present in it, exercise 
so excellent a virtue that by it they may earn eternal 
felicity. The more often we do this the greater will be 
our share of grace here and of glory hereafter. 

The following incident taken from the life of the 
famous theologian Hugh of St. Victor bears the same 
testimony. It had long been the earnest desire of this 
pious priest to behold Our Lord in the consecrated host, 
and many were his prayers to obtain that favor. At last 
his prayer was granted and his desire fulfilled. One 
day, while he was saying Mas3, he saw the divine Child 
reposing upon the corporal. His joy and the consola- 
tion he experienced were boundless, but presently the 
holy Child whispered to him: "Because thou hast thus 
seen Me with thy bodily eyes, O Hugh, thou hast lost all 
the merit of faith." Thereupon the Infant vanished from 
sight, leaving the priest as full of regret for the merit he 
had lost as he had been of delight at the visible presence 
of his Lord. Let this example serve to strengthen our 
faith, and at the same time encourage us by the assur- 
ance that we merit greatly in the sight of God when we 
look upon the sacred host and make an act of steadfast 
faith. 

St. Louis of France was deeply impressed with the 
value of faith. One day, when a priest who was celebrating 
the holy sacrifice in the palace chapel elevated the 
sacred host, all who were present beheld in its place a 
lovely Infant. A servant went running to the king, who 
was not in the chapel at the time, begging him to hasten 
thither to see this wondrous sight. But Louis calmly 
replied: " Let unbelievers go to look upon the divine 
Child; I, for my part, am so firmly convinced of His 
personal presence in the sacred host that I do not 



344 Devotions to be Practised at the Elevation, 

care for further evidence." It cannot be supposed that 
this pious king did not feel a natural desire to see the 
beauteous Infant; he denied himself the gratification 
which the sight would have afforded him in order not to 
lose the merit of believing what he had not seen, and thus 
gaining a higher degree of glory. Imitate this good 
king, and however thou mayst desire to behold Christ in 
the sacred host, content thyself with believing, and 
comfort thyself with the thought that thou wilt see thy 
Lord in His glory all the more clearly hereafter. 

After this act of faith and the adoration of the sacred 
host the act of oblation should follow. The oblation 
of the sacred host is the most real and most powerful 
atonement for the guilt of man. In other words: There 
is no more efficacious means of appeasing the anger of God 
than by offering to Him the body and blood of His Son 
in the consecrated host. Let sinners remember this, and 
immediately after the elevation offer the sacred host 
with all their heart for the remission of their sins. This 
applies to all who are present at Mass, whether guilty of 
mortal or venial sin. 

- After this oblation comes the elevation of the chalice, 
which has a special meaning and supernatural power. 
For in it the precious blood of Christ is shed anew in a 
mystical manner, and sprinkled upon all who are present. 
This is signified in the words of consecration: ** This is 
the chalice of My blood, . . . which is shed for you and 
for many to the remission of sins." Thus, when thou dost 
assist at holy Mass, it is just as if thou didst stand upon 
Calvary beneath the cross, with contrition of heart, and 
wert sprinkled with the precious blood. And as thou 
wouldst then have been cleansed from all stain of sin, 
so now, no less surely, wilt thou be sprinkled with that 
same blood, and, if thou art repentant, be cleansed from 
thy guilt. 



Devotions to be Practised at the Elevation, 345 

God commanded the Israelites: " The whole multitude 
of the children of Israel shall sacrifice a lamb. And 
they shall take of the blood thereof, and put it upon 
both the side-posts and on the upper-posts of the houses. 
And I shall see the blood and shall pass over you; and 
the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I 
strike the land of Egypt." (Ex. xii. 6, 7, 13.) If the 
blood of the paschal lamb, sprinkled upon the door- 
posts, preserved the Israelites from the sword of the 
destroying angel, how much more will the precious 
blood of the spotless Lamb, shed for us upon the cross, 
and daily applied to our souls in holy Mass, avail to pro- 
tect us from the rage of the evil spirit, " who goeth about 
as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (i. 
Pet. v. 8.) 

And what are those to do who are not present in the 
church ? For their benefit the custom of ringing the 
church bell at the elevation was introduced, as a signal 
to all who heard it that their Lord and God was lifted 
up in holy Mass. At the sound of this bell we ought to 
kneel down, look in the direction of the church, and 
adore our Lord God in the hands of the priest. This is 
a good and salutary practice. 

WHAT OUR BEHAVIOR OUGHT TO BE AFTER THE 
CONSECRATION. 

After the elevation of the sacred elements we can do 
nothing better than follow the example of the priest. 
As this sacrifice is ours as well as his, and it is incum- 
bent on us as well as upon him to offer it, let us as far 
as possible imitate his actions. After he has replaced the 
chalice upon the corporal he says: "Wherefore, O Lord, 
we Thy servants, as also Thy holy people, offer unto Thy 
most excellent majesty, of Thy gifts and presents, a pure 
host, a holy host, an immaculate host, the holy bread 



34^ Devotions to be Practised at the Elevation, 

of eternal life, and the chalice of everlasting salvation.*' 
There are no more consoling words in the vi^hole Mass, 
according to Sanchez, than this prayer after the elevation, 
for neither priest nor people can do anything better than 
offer this holy sacrifice to God. To resume our own 
private devotions immediately after the elevation would 
therefore be to miss the oblation of the Mass, and to 
offer to God our miserable cold petitions in the place of 
the unspeakably precious sacrifice; by this we should 
indeed lose much. 

What have we poor mortals, then, to offer to a God of 
infinite riches ? Destitute though we are in virtue and 
in grace, yet we possess in holy Mass a treasure of ines- 
timable value, wherewith heaven and earth may be en- 
riched. To this St. Paul refers when he says: " He that 
spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, 
how hath He not also, with Him, given us all things ? " 
(Rom. viii. 32.) Not only did God give us His Son in 
times long past: He delivers Him up for us again and 
again in holy Mass (as has already been abundantly 
proved in these pages), and with Him He bestows on us 
all His riches, so that we have wherewithal to pay our 
debt and purchase eternal treasures. Make good use, 
therefore, of this wealth that is in thy hands, and offer it 
to thy heavenly Father during the celebration of Mass 
with words such as these: 

"I offer Thee, O heavenly Father, this holy sacrifice; 
I offer Thee Thy beloved Son, His incarnation. His birth, 
His passion; I offer Thee His sweat of blood, His scourg- 
ing, His crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross; 
I offer Thee the crucifixion, the cruel death He en- 
dured, the crimson stream that flowed from His wounds; 
I offer all that He did and suffered for me, which is now 
reenacted in this Mass. I offer it to Thee for Thy 
greater glory and for my own salvation, An^en,** 



Devotions to be Practised at the Elevation. 347 

This simple but useful prayer may be learnt by heart, 
and repeated after the consecration. We know how 
powerful this act of oblation is, and how much may be 
gained by it, from the words of Christ Himself, Who said 
that whoever should offer His passion and merits as if 
they were his own should receive them again in twofold 
measure. It is well, therefore, to make it our habit, every 
time that we hear Mass, to beseech Our Lord to make 
amends for our indevotion and the imperfection of our 
oblation, and for this end to offer the holy sacrifice to 
His Father in our stead. " Since I know not how to 
offer this holy Mass aright, do Thou, my dearest Lord, 
take my place, and present it for me, 1 pray Thee, to Thy 
Eternal Father." 

Above all, make it thy endeavor to assist at Mass with 
the utmost reverence and attention. Be careful not to 
speak or laugh with others, or to rise from thy knees 
without urgent cause, from the time of the consecration 
until the communion; for it ill becomes us, in Christ's 
immediate presence, to study our own ease when He 
stoops so low for us. Any sin which is committed dur- 
ing the time of Mass is of greater moment, for it is a 
profanation of the highest act of worship, an insult to 
Christ, Who is present in person, renewing the great work 
of redemption. St. Chrysostom says that those who talk 
and joke at the time of Mass deserve to be struck with 
lightning there and then. He bids them remember, and 
those also who do not check or rebuke them, that they 
will have to answer for it at the judgment-seat of Christ. 



34^ Reverence with which Holy Mass should be Heard, 



CHAPTER XXX. 

THE REVERENCE WHEREWITH WE OUGHT TO HEAR 

HOLY MASS. 

TITOLY Church, in the decrees of the Council of Trent, 
impresses on us the reverence with which holy Mass 
is to be heard: " If we must needs confess that no other 
work can be performed by the faithful so holy and 
divine as this tremendous mystery itself, wherein that life- 
giving victim is daily immolated upon the altar by priests, 
it is also sufficiently clear that all industry and diligence 
is to be applied to this end, that it be performed with the 
greatest possible inward cleanness and purity of heart, 
and outward show of devotion and piety." (Sess. xxii.) 
Both priest3 and people may learn from this — the former 
to say Mass with all possible devotion, the latter to assist 
at it with all piety and fervor. 

The historian Josephus tells us that seven hundred 
priests and Levites served daily in the Jewish temple; 
they slaughtered the victims, cleansed them, cut them in 
pieces, and burnt them upon the altar, preserving mean- 
while the utmost outward reverence, and silence so per- 
fect that it might have been thought there was but one 
priest officiating. 

With the early Christians it was the same. St. Chrysos- 
tom writes of them that, on entering the church, as they 
crossed the threshold they stooped and kissed the ground, 
and that during the celebration of the Mass the silence 
that prevailed could not have been more profound had 
the church been empty. We may here again remind the 
reader of the words of St. James' liturgy; *^ Let every 



Reverence with which Holy Mass should be Heard, 349 

one keep silence and tremble with awe, let nothing 
earthly occupy his thoughts, for the King of kings, the 
Lord of lords is about to come, to be immolated upon the 
altar, and to give Himself for the food of the faithful." 
St. Martin never allowed himself to sit in church, but 
remained kneeling or standing during the whole time, 
praying with an awestruck expression of countenance. 
When asked the reason of this, he replied: ** How can I 
do otherwise than fear when I stand in the presence of 
my God and my Lord?" David expresses the same feel- 
ing when he says: "I will come into Thy house, I will 
worship towards Thy holy temple in Thy fear." 
(Ps. V. 8.) 

The words God spoke to Moses out of the burning 
bush may also be appositely quoted in this place: 
*' Put off the shoes from thy feet; for the place whereon 
thou standest is holy ground." (Ex. iii. 5.) How much 
more reverence is due to our churches, which have been 
consecrated by the bishop, and where the holy sacrifice 
is daily offered. David went with fear and trembling into 
the tabernacle, where the ark of the covenant stood; how 
much the more reason have we sinners to enter with holy 
fear and profound respect into our churches, where the 
Blessed Sacrament is present, where Mass is celebrated, 
and assist with reverence at the greatest *of all mysteries ! 
God Himself gives us the command: "Reverence My 
sanctuary." (Lev. xxvi. 2.) This applies with more 
justice to our churches than to the tabernacle of the 
Israelites, just as Jacob's ladder and the altar at Bethel 
are typical of the Christian Church rather than of Solo- 
mon's temple. Of our sanctuaries we may rightly say: 
" How terrible is this place ! this is no other but the 
house of God, and the gate of heaven." (Gen. xxviii. 17.) 

Hence it may be seen how much they are to be 
blamed who regard the church with no more respect 



350 Reverence with which Holy Mass should be Heard, 

and reverence than their own house, never thinking, 
apparently, that it is the house of God, the dwelling- 
place of the Son of the Most High. Some persons 
are so shameless as to stare about them, watch all 
who come in or go out, and even talk or laugh, while the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass, before which the angels fall 
prostrate upon their faces, is being offered. To these 
Christ might well address the words He spoke to those 
who bought and sold in the temple: " My house is the 
house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." 
(Luke xix. 46.) Commenting on this passage, Cornelius 
a Lapide says: "The Christian church is in very truth 
the house of God, for Christ dwells therein in the Ador- 
able Sacrament of the Altar. If He drove the Jews 
with scourges out of the temple, how much the more do 
Christians deserve a like treatment who profane His holy 
house with idle chatter, inquisitive glances, and rude 
staring at strangers." 

In connection with looking about one in church at 
Mass-time, the Blessed Veronica of Binasko relates the 
following experience : " Once when, prompted by curios- 
ity, I happened during the time of Mass to look at one 
of the sisters who was kneeling near the altar, the angel 
of God, who is constantly beside me, rebuked me with 
such severity that I almost fainted with terror. How 
threateningly he looked at me as he said: * Why dost 
thou not keep watch over thy heart ? Why dost thou 
gaze thus curiously at thy sister ? Thou hast committed 
no slight offence against God.* Thus spoke the angel, 
and by Christ's command he enjoined on me a heavy 
penance for my fault, which for three days I bewailed 
with tears. Now, when I hear Mass, I never venture so 
much as to turn my head, for fear of incurring the dis- 
pleasure of His divine majesty." 

If it is sinful to look about one out of curiosity, how 



Revefence with which Holy Mass should be Heard, 351 

very wrong it must be to talk in church and in the time 
of Mass. It is much easier to restrain one's tongue than 
one's eyes, and on that account it is more wrong to speak 
in church than to let one's eyes wander; besides, not only 
is it a greater offence against God, but it gives scandal 
and disturbs others at their prayers. In order to guard 
against this fault let us remember Our Lord's words: "I 
say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, 
they shall render an account for it in the day of judg- 
ment." (St. Matt. xii. 36.) If we shall have to give an 
account of every idle word that we speak, how severely 
will the just Judge punish the idle words spoken at Mass- 
time, whereby we have shown such want of respect for 
His service! 

In order to show the full amount of reverence due to 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass it is well to remain on 
one's knees all the time. For if St. Paul says: " That in 
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that 
are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth " (Phil. ii. 
10.), how much more ought we to bow the knee when 
the divine Saviour is present in person upon the altar, 
and the work of our redemption is renewed. Some peo- 
ple are in the habit of standing throughout the Mass, 
only just kneeling down at the consecration, and rising 
to their feet immediately after, or even quietly sitting 
down, as if Our Lord were no longer present. This is most 
unseemly, and contrary to the usage of Christians. 
Those who cannot kneel the whole time should do so 
from the consecration until after the communion of the 
priest. Mothers ought to leave very young children at 
home, as they disturb not only those who bring them to 
church, but other people, and sometimes even the priest 
himself. But bigger children, who are old enough to be 
still, may be brought to Mass. 

It is a most objectionable custom for women to come 



352 Reverence with which Holy Mass should be Heard, 

to Mass very much dressed. The holy Pope Linus used 
to insist on the Apostle's injunction being observed, 
which required every woman to wear a veil when she 
went to church. St. Charles Borromeo was accustomed 
to say that women who were not thus veiled should be 
refused admittance into the church. According to St. 
Clement of Alexandria, the reason of this command was 
lest the beauty of the fair sex should distract the atten- 
tion of men. Much harm is done by those who come to 
Mass splendidly and elaborately dressed, because they 
attract attention to themselves which ought to be given 
to the Mass, and thus lead others into sin. St. Ambrose 
says of such persons: " The more admiration they receive 
from men the more vile they are in the sight of God; 
the more they are praised by their fellow-creatures the 
more they are despised and hated by God." 

Women thus bedizened should, when they look upon 
the crucifix, imagine that they hear the voice of Christ 
speaking to them thus: *^ Behold Me, O my daughter, 
hanging upon the cross naked, covered with blood and 
wounds, to atone for thy vanity. Despising My abjection 
thou dost deck thyself with rich apparel, and appear 
without shame before My sight at Mass, giving scandal 
by thy evil example. Take heed lest for all thy fine gar- 
ments thou art not after death cast into hell-fire." 

Let every one take warning by these words, and reflect 
that to be overdressed to any great extent is sinful, 
more so than one is apt to imagine, for it is a sin which 
is seldom repented of, confessed, and forsaken. Examine 
thy conscience as to how far thou hast erred in this re- 
spect by spending too much time and care on the adorn- 
ment of thy person, causing scandal to some, leading 
others to follow thy example, or exciting envy in the 
minds of those who are too poor to dress as thou dost. 
By not giving a thought to all these sins, not confessing 



Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 353 

or bewailing them, thou wilt live and die in them, and 
incur no slight risk of eternal damnation. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE CEREMONIES OF HOLY MASS, AND WHAT 
THEY SIGNIFY. 

"DEFORE proceeding to explain the ceremonies of the 
Mass we must ask the reader to observe that it 
consists of three principal parts — the offertory, the con- 
secration, and the communion. These three parts were 
instituted by Christ Himself. The offertory is the giving 
of thanks and blessing of the bread and wine, whereby 
both are consecrated to the service of God. This was 
done at the Last Supper, when Our Lord took bread and 
wine, gave thanks to His heavenly Father, and blessed 
them. The consecration consists in the repetition of the 
words which Christ spoke on that memorable occasion: 
" This is My body; this is My blood." The consecration 
is the most important part of holy Mass, because by it 
Christ becomes present on our altars, and in it lies the 
essence of the sacrifice, as the reader will have seen from 
the earlier chapters of this book. The communion is 
the consumption of the sacred oblation. This was also 
done in the Last Supper, when Our Lord gave His flesh 
and blood to be eaten by the apostles under the form of 
bread and wine. All that precedes the offertory, the 
various psalms, prayers, and lections, was formerly called 
the Mass of the catechumens, because the catechumens, 
that is, those who were under instruction, but were not 
as yet baptized, might be present at it, while they had to 
withdraw before the Mass, properly so called, commeaced 



354 Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 

with the offertory. This Mass of the catechumens may 
also be denominated as the prelude, or introduction to 
the Mass. 

THE INTRODUCTION TO THE MASS, OR MASS OF 
THE CATECHUMENS. 

Before the Mass the priest washes his hands, praying 
God meanwhile to grant him the grace to offer the holy 
sacrifice with clean hands and a pure heart. He then 
vests, repeating at the same time the prescribed prayers, 
takes the chalice with all that appertains to it, and goes 
to the altar accompanied by the acolytes, or servers. At 
the foot of the altar-steps he genuflects if the Blessed 
Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle, or if not merely 
bows his head, before ascending the steps to the altar. 
After placing the chalice, covered with the veil, upon the 
corporal, which is spread upon the altar, he opens the 
missal, finds the places, and returns to the middle of the 
altar. Thence he goes down to the foot of the altar, 
again bows down, makes the sign of the cross, and recites 
with the clerk or server the psalm Judica me. This 
psalm expresses the feelings which ought to animate both 
priest and people at the moment of commencing this 
highest act of worship. 

Then the priest, bowing down, says the Co7tfiteor, or 
general confession, and the clerk does the same after- 
wards, in the name of all present. Both strike their 
breasts, with the contrite publican, as an outward mani- 
festation of the compunction of their hearts. The priest, 
standing upright, gives the absolution, and prays God to 
grant to the people the remission of their sins in the 
Miser eatur and Indulgentiam, He stands upright after 
bending down in a lowly posture, to signify that both 
priest and people are lifted up and comforted by the 
knowledge that they have received forgiveness of sin. 



Ceremonies of Holy Mass, a7id what they Signify, 355 

After the Confiteor and the succeeding versicles are 
ended the priest goes up to the altar and kisses it as a sign 
of respect for Christ, Who will come down to be the victim, 
and also to mark the bond of charity which unites us to 
the saints, whose relics rest beneath the altar-stone. If 
it is a High Mass, the altar is incensed as a token of pro- 
found reverence towards God. Let this remind us that 
our prayers ought to ascend to heaven as the clouds of 
incense rise in the air. The officiating priest is also in- 
censed, out of respect for his sacred office, and also to 
show that his virtues, like the fragrant incense, ought to 
edify all the community. 

The priest then goes to the missal, and, making the 
sign of the cross, reads the Tntroit, or entrance of the 
Mass. This is generally a verse taken from some part 
of Holy Scripture, with the first verse of one of the 
psalms, having some connection with the season of the 
ecclesiastical year or the festival of the day. It closes 
with the ascription of praise to the Most Holy Trinity: 
'' Glory be to the Father," etc. 

With a sense of complete dependence upon God, and 
the need both he and all the people have of the divine 
assistance, the priest says alternately with the server the 
Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison^ Kyrie eleison, repeating each 
three times to the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. 
The words Kyrie eleison are Greek, and mean. Lord, have 
mercy upon us. 

This calling for grace and mercy is followed by the 
Gloria in excelsis^ an expression of thankfulness and joy 
at our redemption, which finds its renewal in every Mass. 
The beginning of this hymn of praise was sung by the 
angels at the birth of Christ; the remainder is an ascrip- 
tion of praise to God and an expression of our gratitude 
to Him. The Gloria^ being a hymn of joy, is omitted in 
Masses for the dead and on the Sundays of Advent and 



35^ Ceremd7ites of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 

Lent, besides any other days on which joy is unsuitable. 

After the Gloria^ or when it is omitted immediately 
after the Kyrie, the priest kisses the altar, and, turning to 
the people, says: '' Dominus vobiscum'' (" The Lord be 
with you"); and the server answers for the people: "-£"/ 
cum spiritu tuo " ("And with thy spirit'*). These words ex- 
press the wish of the priest for the faithful who are present 
that the Lord may be with them and help them to pray 
in spirit and in truth. For we need a special grace in 
order to pray aright. The people reciprocate the wish 
of the priest: May the Lord assist thee in thy prayer, 
and in offering the holy sacrifice. This versicle and 
response is repeated several times in the course of the 
Mass, to signify the intimate connection that exists be- 
tween the priest and the people, and as a mutual support 
and encouragement to perseverance and fervor in prayer. 

The priest then returns to the book, and after bowing 
his head in the direction of the crucifix invites the con- 
gregation to unite with him in his supplications, saying: 
^^Oremus,'' (** Let us pray "). The prayers which follow are 
called collects, or collective prayers, because all the in- 
terests and needs of the Church and of those of her 
children who are present are summed up by the priest 
and laid before God. They conclude with the usual 
termination, " Through Jesus Christ Our Lord," on ac- 
count of the promise given to us that the Father will 
grant all that we ask in the name of His Son. At the 
end the people respond: " Amen, so be it." 

At the *^ Dominus vobiscum^' and " Oremus " the priest 
extends his hands, raises them, and again folds them, to 
indicate that it is from above that he looks for the ful- 
filment of his petition. Folding the hands is a mark of 
humility, which acknowledges that we can do nothing in 
our own strength, that we put all our trust in the Lord. 
While reading the collects the priest stretches out his 



Ceremonies of Holy MasSy and what they Signify. 357 

hands in memory of the Saviour Who, with arms ex- 
tended upon the cross, interceded for the whole human 
race. 

The collects being ended, the priest reads the lesson, 
a passage taken from the Old or New Testament. If 
from the latter, it is never a part of the Gospels, but of 
the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, or the Apocalypse. 
As for the most part these lections are taken from the 
epistles of the apostles, they are called the Epistle, the 
Latin word epistola meaning a letter. The epistle ap- 
pointed to be read in the Mass always has reference to 
the ecclesiastical season or the festival of the day, and is 
intended to awaken in us sentiments in accordance with 
the season or the saint commemorated on the day. At 
the end the clerk gives thanks in the name of the people 
for the instruction thus received, saying: '^ Deo gratias'* 
("Thanks be to God '0- 

Then follow some sentences of Scripture, called the 
Gradual, from the Latin gradus, a step, because they re- 
place a psalm which used to be sung by the choir on the 
steps of the altar while the book was moved to the gospel 
side, and the deacon prepared to read the Gospel. During 
Paschal time the joyous Alleluia ("Praise the Lord**) 
is substituted; while in Lent the Tracfus, a long psalm, is 
solemnly chanted, without any pause being made. In the 
Mass for Easter Day, and Whit Sunday, and throughout 
the octave of both of these feasts, as well as on the festival 
of Corpus Christi, a hymn, or Sequence, follows, so called 
because it follows upon, or is to a certain extent a con- 
tinuation of, the Gradual. In the Mass for the feast of 
the Seven Dolors of Our Lady the Stabat Mater is read 
as a sequence, and in Masses for the dead the Dies irce. 

The Gospel is of far more importance and dignity than 
the Epistle, for it contains the word of God, proceeding, 
not from human lips, but communicated to us by the 



35^ Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 

only-begotten Son of God Himself. Accordingly from 
the earliest times the reading of the Gospel was attended 
with solemn ceremonies. Before reading it the priest 
stands for a few moments bowing down before the altar, 
reciting the Munda cor meum^ wherein he begs God to 
cleanse his heart and his lips, that he may be worthy to 
proclaim those heavenly words. At High Mass this 
prayer is said by the deacon, kneeling before the altar; 
at its conclusion, taking the book, he kneels before the 
priest, asking and receiving his blessing. In order to 
read the Gospel the priest passes to the right side of the 
altar to represent the transition from the Old Law to the 
teaching of Christ. At solemn High Mass the deacon, 
whose office it is to read the Gospel, looks towards the 
north. According to St. Gregory the Great, the north is 
emblematic of the heathen world plunged in darkness; 
and it is to signify that the light of Christian doctrine 
and the example of Jesus Christ are to dispel that dark- 
ness that the deacon turns his face to the north whilst 
chanting the Gospel. The lighted candles held on each 
side of the missal have the same meaning, while the incens- 
ing of the book shows the respect we owe to the word of 
God. The reading or singing of the Gospel begins 
with the salutation: '^ DofJtinus vobiscum^' etc., and the 
words: ^^ Sequentia sancti evangelii secundum Matthceum "; 
that is to say, ** What follows is taken from the holy Gos- 
pel of St. Matthew " (or whichever evangelist it may be). 
The acolytes answer: ^'Gloria tibi, Domine " (" Glory be to 
Thee, O Lord "), and both priest and people make the sign 
of the cross upon their forehead, mouth, and breast to sig- 
nify that they pray God to enlighten their understanding, 
and open their hearts to receive His sacred teaching, and 
make them ever ready to profess it with their lips. The 
priest (or deacon) previously makes the sign of the cross 
on the book, in the place of the Gospel he is about to 



Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 359 

read, to signify that it is the word of Jesus crucified, 
from whence proceed salvation and benediction. The 
people stand while the Gospel is read, to denote their 
reverence for God's Word, and their readiness to do what- 
soever is commanded by it. 

At the end of the Gospel the server gives thanks on 
behalf of the people for the heavenly doctrine, saying: 
''Laus tibi, Christe'' (''Praise be to Thee, O Christ "). The 
priest then kisses the book out of reverence for the sacred 
words he has been reading, and to show that they are to us 
a message of grace and mercy. This is also indicated by 
the words he says: '' May our sins be blotted out by the 
words of the Gospel." From the earliest times it has 
been customary on Sundays and festivals at this point to 
read the Gospel for the day from the altar, or to deliver 
an instruction from the pulpit, the sermon of our own 
time. At the close of this instruction the catechumens, 
in the first centuries of Christianity, used to leave the 
church. The introduction to the Mass ends with the 
reading of the Gospel. 

With the reciting of the Credo ^ orNicene Creed, we pass 
to the Mass properly so called. This confession of faith 
is the fruit of the Gospel that has been proclaimed. The 
cardinal clause of the Creed is that which expresses the in- 
carnation of the Son of God^^'Etincarnatusesf), at which 
the priest and all the people bend the knee. The Credo 
is said on all Sundays, the festivals of Our Lord and His 
blessed Mother, the feasts of apostles and doctors of 
the Church, and on many other days, besides the octaves 
of feasts. As this profession of faith follows upon the 
teaching we have received, so it prepares us for the cele- 
bration of the holy mysteries, for without a deep and 
lively faith we can neither appreciate them nor profit by 
them. 



360 Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 

FIRST PART OF HOLY MASS: THE OFFERTORY. 

After the Credo the priest turns to the people and says: 
"The Lord be with you," and with the words, "Let us 
pray," he incites them to follow the prayers attentively, 
and unite in the sacrificial act which is about to com- 
mence. The verse, called the offertory, that he reads 
is taken from Holy Scripture, and is appropriate to the 
day or season. The priest then uncovers the chalice, and, 
placing the host upon the paten, offers it up, praying 
God graciously to accept this immaculate host for the 
present needs and eternal salvation of all the faithful. 
The elevation of the bread signifies the complete surren- 
der we make of it and of ourselves into the hands of 
God. The priest raises his eyes to heaven to show that 
the oblation is made to God; he drops them again in 
token of his own unworthiness. Then, making the sign 
of the cross with the paten, in memory of the sacrifice 
of the cross, about to be renewed in the Mass, he places 
the host upon the corporal, and, going to the epistle 
side of the altar, pours wine and water into the chalice. 
He blesses the water before it is mixed with the wine, 
praying that by the mystery of this water and wine we 
may be made partakers of His divinity, Jesus Christ, 
Who became partaker of our humanity. The wine is not 
blessed, because it represents Christ, the Eternal Son of 
the Father, the source of all benediction. The water 
represents our human nature, which stands in great need 
of blessing. The mixture of the wine and water is said 
by theologians to represent the union of the divine and 
human nature in Our Lord. Returning to the middle of 
the altar, the priest offers up the chalice, and, lifting up 
his eyes, he entreats the Father of heaven of His clem- 
ency to accept that chalice of salvation for the salvation 
of the whole world. He then makes the sign of the cross 



Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify. 361 

over the corporal with the chalice, places it upon the cor- 
poral, and covers it with the pall. 

The reason why the priest designates the oblation as 
"this immaculate host" and "the chalice of salvation'* 
is because it is destined to be changed into the body and 
blood of Christ. This offering of the oblation must be 
distinguished from the offering of the holy sacrifice itself; 
for this does not indeed consist in an oblation of bread 
and wine, but of the body and blood of Christ, and it 
cannot take place until the consecration. 

Bowing down over the altar, the priest humbly prays 
God to accept the offering; he then blesses the elements, 
and invokes the Holy Ghost to descend and sanctify 
them. At High Mass the elements, the altar, and the 
celebrant are all incensed. The reader may see in the. 
cloud of incense veiling the altar an emblem of the 
divine majesty, for the Lord is soon to come down from 
above, as He did once of old on the occasion of the 
dedication of the temple at Jerusalem, filling the whole 
house with a visible cloud. By this He manifested His 
approval of the place chosen for the offering of prayer 
and holocausts. 

The offertory concluded, the priest goes to the epistle 
side of the altar, where he washes his fingers while he 
recites the twenty-fifth Psalm. This is to remind both 
priest and people of the cleanness and purity of soul and 
body with which we ought to appear before the Lord. 
Returning to the middle of the altar, and bowing down, 
with joined hands in all humility he entreats the Most 
Holy Trinity to vouchsafe graciously to receive this obla- 
tion. Then, kissing the altar, he turns to the people, and 
with the words: " Orate fratres " (" Brethren, pray,*' etc.), 
invites them to join with him in imploring the same grace. 

Turning again to the altar, the priest begins the Secreta^ 
pr secret prayers, so called because they are said in a. 



362 Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 

low voice. These prayers are different every day, and 
correspond in number and arrangement to the collects. 
The concluding words: ^' Per omiiia scECula scBculorum'' 
{'' World without end "), are said audibly, and are the 
beginning of the Preface. 

The PrcBfatiOy or preface, forms the introduction to the 
second part of the Mass, the consecration. After tlie 
Doniinus vobiscinn^ to which the usual answer is given, the 
priest solemnly uplifts his hands to denote the elevation of 
his heart, saying: '^Sursum corda'' (" Lift up your hearts "), 
to which the people reply: "We have lifted them up to 
the Lord." With these words he calls upon all who are 
present to unite with him in giving thanks to the Father 
Almighty, the Eternal God, to the glory of Christ Our 
Lord. And since the praise of mortal lips is only too 
weak and imperfect, he expresses the desire that their 
voices may be permitted to join in the triumphant song 
of the angelic choirs, and with them he exclaims in holy 
exultation: "Holy, holy, holy. Lord God of Sabaoth: 
heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the 
highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the 
Lord. Hosanna in the highest." 

SECOND PART OF THE HOLY MASS! THE 
CONSECRATION. 

The prayers from the Sanctus to the Pater noster are 
called the canon of the Mass. This word means a fixed 
rule, the prayers being the same for every day in the 
year, whereas a large portion of the prayers and cere- 
monies in the other parts of the Mass vary according to 
the different ecclesiastical seasons, the festival of the day, 
or other circumstances. The prayers of the canon are 
read in a low voice, to indicate to the congregration the 
vast solemnity of this tremendous mystery. The words 
of consecration form the central point of the canon. 



Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 363 

When the priest begins the canon, he raises his eyes 
and his hands to heaven. This is in imitation of Our 
Lord, Who, before performing His miracles, looked up 
to heaven. He then drops them again, kisses the altar, 
and recites the prayers with extended hands, like Moses 
when interceding for the people. 

As in the offertory prayers, so in the prayers immedi- 
ately preceding the consecration, we remark the twofold 
supplication, that God would mercifully accept the obla- 
tion, and would vouchsafe to grant us peace and salvation. 
This general petition is followed by more special ones, 
that for the sake of this unspotted victim He would pro- 
tect and bless the holy Catholic Church, the Pope, the 
bishops, as .also all orthodox believers. Furthermore, 
some persons are mentioned by name, whom God is en- 
treated to remember in mercy; those who offer this 
sacrifice, or for whom it is offered, with their families 
and friends. 

After thus praying for the members of the Church 
militant here upon earth the priest honors the memory 
of the blessed in heaven, the Church triumphant, be- 
seeching God that by their merits and prayers we may 
be defended by the help of His protection. Foremost 
among the saints whose names are introduced here he 
mentions the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the 
same Lord Jesus Christ Who is directly to appear as 
our victim upon the altar. 

Under the Old Dispensation it was customary for the 
officiating priest, before immolating the sacrificial victims, 
to lay his hands upon the head of each, beseeching the 
Most High to grant forgiveness of sin, and to bestow upon 
him what was salutary and needful for soul and body. 
In imitation of this ancient ceremony the priest of the 
New Testament extends his hands over the oblation, 
before the mystic irnmplation of the victim of atonement, 



364 Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify. 

the Lamb of God, in his own name and that of the 
people, and prays that God, reconciled with him and with 
the congregation, wouM grant them peace in this life, 
deliver them from eternal damnation, and number them 
in the flock of His elect. 

The scene now changes to the cenacle in Jerusalem, 
where Jesus on the night before He suffered instituted 
and celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and the 
priest. His representative, reenacts what He did then. 
After the transubstantiation of the bread into the sacred 
body, of the wine into the precious blood, of Christ the 
priest kneels and adores the sacred elements; then he 
elevates them, holding them on high to the veneration 
of the faithful. The bell is rung as a signal that the 
solemn moment has come, that Christ, God and Man, to 
Whom be glory and worsTiip in all eternity, is actually 
present upon the altar. All present kneel, and, bending 
low in humble adoration, strike their breasts saying in 
their hearts: " Jesus, to Thee I live, to Thee I hope to 
die; in life and in death I am Thine." 

Slain without shedding of blood, Christ now lies upon 
the altar in a state of mystic death. With profound 
humility and heartfelt fervor the priest beseeches Al- 
mighty God to look propitiously upon this sacred 
oblation, and, accepting it, to grant to the living heavenly 
benediction and grace, and also to all that rest in Christ 
a place of refreshment, light, and peace. Here, 
striking his breast, the priest breaks the solemn still- 
ness by saying: ^'' Nobis quoque peccatoribus'' ("And to us 
sinners"), continuing again in a low voice: "to Thy ser- 
vants, hoping in the multitude of Thy mercies vouchsafe 
to grant part and fello_wship with Thy holy apostles and 
martyrs." 

This prayer closes with the words: " Through Christ 
Our Lord/' and is connected with what follows by this 



Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signzfy. 365 

ascription of blessing, honor, and glory: "By Whom, O 
Lord, Thou dost always create, quicken, sanctify, bless, 
and give us all these good things. Through Him, and 
with Him, and in Him, is to Thee, God the Father Al- 
mighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and 
glory. Amen." While this is said, the sacred host is 
held over the chalice, and both are slightly elevated, 
that the act of veneration may accompany the spoken 
ascription of praise. Here the canon ends, and the third 
part of the Mass commences. 

THIRD PART OF HOLY MASS : THE COMMUNION. 

As the preface forms the introduction to the canon, 
so with the Pater noster we enter upon the third part 
of the Mass, the communion. Christ has made the sac- 
rifice of Himself for us by the consecration: we can now 
call God our Father, we may proffer our petitions to 
Him with filial confidence, we are entitled to partake of 
celestial food at the communion. In the petition of the 
Lord's Prayer: " Give us this day our daily bread,** we 
express our longing for the bread of angels, given to us 
in holy communion. 

Raising his voice, with hands uplifted, the priest recites 
the Pater noster^ inviting all who are present to take part 
in his supplications. At its close, the Amen having been 
said, in a low voice he beseeches God the Father to 
deliver him and all who pray with him from all evils, 
past, present, and future, through the intercession of the 
saints, and to grant peace in their days. He makes the 
sign of the cross with the paten, and places the sacred 
host upon it; then, kneeling down, he adores the host, 
and in remembrance of Christ, Who broke bread at the 
Last Supper, he breaks it, and puts a particle into the 
chalice. As the separation of the two species is signifi- 



366 Ceremonies of Holy Mass, a7id what they Signify, 

cant of Our Lord's death, so the reunion of His body and 
blood is intended to remind us of His resurrection. 

Hitherto the prayers said by the priest have been ad- 
dressed to God the Father; he now calls upon Christ 
our Redeemer, saying three times the Agnus Dei : " Lamb 
of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have 
mercy upon us." At the third time of repetition the 
words: " Grant us peace, "are substituted as the conclusion. 
The next prayer is one for peace. At High Mass the 
kiss of peace is here exchanged between the celebrant 
and those amongst the clergy who may be assisting at 
the altar. In early times, when the men and women oc- 
cupied separate places in the church, and all who were 
present took part in the communion, it was customary 
for all the congregation to exchange this salutation. 
Only those who observe mutual charity and kindness are 
worthy to receive the God of peace. Then the priest, 
bending low, his eyes reverently fixed upon the sacred 
host, prepares by fervent prayer to receive the Adorable 
Sacrament. Taking the host in his hand, he says three 
times, devoutly and humbly, the words of the centurion: 
" Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under 
my roof; say but the word, and my soul shall be healed." 
He then reverently consumes the sacred body and blood 
of the Lord, thus uniting himself intimately with Him 
in that close intercourse which is the meaning of the 
word " communion." Any of the congregation who de- 
sire to communicate then approach to receive the ador- 
able body of Our Lord, and thus participate in the holy 
sacrifice. 

After the communion the priest takes the ablutions of 
the chalice, a little wine and water being poured over 
the fingers which have touched the sacred host, and 
which he holds over the chalice; meanwhile he recites 
prayers relating to the reception of the Blessed Sacra- 



Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 367 

ment. He then goes to the book, which has been moved 
to the left side of the altar, and reads a versicle of Holy 
Scripture called the communion; this now replaces the 
canticle which was formerly sung during the communion 
of the people. Turning to the people, he repeats the 
salutation, ''Do?ninus vobiscum^' and proceeds to read the 
concluding prayers. 

These concluding prayers are called the > Post-com- 
munion^ because they come after the communion. In 
them the priest and the people return thanks for their 
participation in the holy mysteries, and pray that God 
would preserve in them the fruit of this sublime obla- 
tion, of this celestial food. The post-communions gen- 
erally recall the leading idea of the festival of the day or 
of the season; they correspond in number to the collects 
and seer eta. Before beginning them the priest says: 
" Let us pray"; and he reads them with extended hands. 

Once more he greets the people with: ^'Dominus vobis- 
cuMy' and then from the middle of the altar he announces 
to them that the service is at an end, letting them de- 
part with the words: "//<?, missa est'' (" Go, the Mass is 
ended '*). Whenever the Gloria is omitted, as in Advent 
and in Lent, " Benedicamus Domino " (" Let us bless the 
Lord "), is substituted for "//^, missa est'' 

The priest next gives his blessing to the people, and 
concludes the whole ceremony by reading from the gos- 
pel side of the altar the beginning of St. John's Gospel. 
As in the Credo so here, in reverence to the mystery of 
the incarnation, at the words: " And the Word was made 
flesh," both priest and people kneel. At the end the con- 
gregation express their heartfelt gratitude for the benefit 
of the divine revelation and the mystery of redemption, 
which are expounded in the Gospel according to St. 
John, by the response: ''' Deo gratias'' ("Thanks be to 
God "). 



368 Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 
THE CEREMONIAL OF MASSES FOR THE DEAD. 

As the ceremonies of holy Mass are somewhat differ- 
ent in Masses for the dead, it will be well not to pass 
them by without mention. 

At the foot of the altar the psalm Judica me is omitted, 
for it expresses the joy of those who go up to the house 
of the Lord, and the Church mourns because the souls of 
the departed for whom she prays are still detained in the 
cleansing fire, and cannot as yet ascend the holy mount 
to the tabernacle of God. 

At the Introit the priest does not make the sign of the 
cross upon himself, but over the book, as if the soul of 
the departed was before him, and at the very outset he 
would bestow on him his benediction, and obtain for 
him eternal rest and perpetual light. The Gloria is 
omitted both here and later on in the Lavabo, since it is 
an expression of joy. 

For the same reason the Gloria is not said, to denote 
our sorrow that the holy souls are not yet permitted to 
stand before the throne of the Lamb and unite their 
voices to the angels' song of praise. Instead of the 
Gradual and joyous Alleluia, the Church prays in the 
Tractus that the departed may be released from the 
bonds of their sins and enjoy the bliss of eternal light. 
The Dies ires, forms a solemn and sorrowful sequence; 
it appeals for pardon to the just Judge, and entreats 
mercy for the departed. 

Before the Gospel the priest does not, as usual, say: 
" The Lord be in my heart and on my lips," etc., nor in 
solemn requiem Masses does the deacon ask his bless- 
ing; the missal is not kissed after the Gospel has been 
read, nor are the words: "By the words of the Gospel," 
etc., said. The Credo is also omitted, everything that 
savors of a festival being excluded. The Church mourns 



Ceremonies of Holy Mass, aiid what they Signify. 369 

on behalf of her departed children, for whom the holy- 
sacrifice is celebrated, and who cannot enjoy the divine 
blessing in full, or receive the kiss of reconciliation which 
makes them forever at peace with God. 

The water which is mingled with the wine in the 
chalice is not previously blessed, because the water rep- 
resents the faithful, and the dead, for whom the oblation 
is offered, are no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the 
Church, but are answerable to divine justice alone. 

The termination of the Agnus Dei is different: twice 
** Give them rest " is said, and lastly, " Give them eternal 
rest." The wish expressed in this prayer for the repose 
of our departed brethren is of a threefold nature: namely, 
release from punishment, the entrance of the soul into 
glory, and, finally, the glorification of the body, which is 
necessary for the consummation of bliss. The prayer 
for peace and the kiss of peace are omitted, because the 
Church militant alone is in a state to need them. 

Instead of "//^, missa est,'' at the conclusion of the 
Mass, ^^ Re quie scant in pace'' (" May they rest in peace '*), 
is said, and the server answers: "Amen." The blessing 
is not given to the congregation, for all the benefit and 
benediction of the Mass is appropriated to the departed. 

With this brief explanation of the ceremonies of holy 
Mass the present treatise will be concluded. The writer 
has but one request to make — and he makes it humbly 
and earnestly — that those into whose hands this book 
may come will read it deliberately and attentively. He 
ventures to hope that, by increasing in the hearts of 
those who read it devotion and love for holy Mass, it 
may induce them to assist more frequently and more 
reverently at the holy sacrifice. 

An attentive perusal of this book will surely have con 
vinced the reader that to hear Mass piously is indeed a 



yjo Ceremonies of Holy Mass, and what they Signify, 

good work, one which will merit for him an unspeakably 
great reward. And the Masses which the instructions 
and explanations contained in this book may perhaps 
have been instrumental in leading him to hear will afford 
him solace and support in the hour of death, and will 
augment the measure of his felicity to all eternity. 
Those, on the other hand, who have slighted holy Mass, 
who have heard it perfunctorily, or omitted it on the 
most frivolous pretext, will, when death comes, see how 
much they have lost through their negligence and care- 
lessness; they will be sorry when it is too late, when they 
have to expiate their sin in another life. 

May the all-merciful God, for the sake of His only- 
begotten Son, vouchsafe, by the power of the Holy 
Ghost, to enlighten the understanding, to strengthen the 
will, to touch the heart, of all who read these pages, 
so that they may ever assist at the holy sacrifice with 
heartfelt reverence and devotion. And the writer begs 
that he may not be wholly forgotten in their pious 
prayers. 



APPENDIX OF PRAYERS. 



FIRST METHOD OF HEARING MASS. 

FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO UNITE THEIR PRAYERS WITH 
THOSE OF THE PRIEST. 



PRAYER BEFORE MASS. 

Eternal Father, I offer to Thee the sacrifice which 
Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, offered to Thee by the 
oblation of Himself upon the cross, and which He is 
now about to renew upon the altar. I offer it to Thee 
as a just tribute of adoration and praise, in thanksgiving 
for the innumerable benefits Thou dost bestow on me, to 
propitiate Thy justice, which I have outraged, to make 
due atonement for my sins, to plead for myself, for holy 
Church, for all mankind, and for the souls of the just 
suffering in purgatory. 

AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE MASS. 

How can I venture, O my God, to appear before Thy 
face, and take part in the sublime and spotless sacrifice 
which is soon to be offered to Thy divine majesty? I 
am but dust and ashes, a poor and miserable mortal. 
Nay, more, I have often and grievously offended against 
Thee, the infinite God; my soul is burdened with many 
sins and stained with guilt. But if in Thy justice Thou 
art angry with me, I take refuge in Thy merciful loving- 
kindness, trusting that for the sake of Jesus Christ, Our 

371 



372 First Method of Hearing Mass. 

Lord, my sinful soul can and shall be cleansed in His 
precious blood. Behold me prostrate before Thee, in 
deep compunction for my sins, because I have thereby 
offended against Thee, Who art my strict judge, and also 
my loving Father, my greatest benefactor, the highest 
good, most perfect, most worthy of my love. I confess 
before Thee, O infinite and eternal God, and before the 
whole company of heaven, the Blessed Vrrgin Mary, the 
glorious archangel Michael, blessed John the Baptist, 
the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the angels and 
saints, that I have sinned through my fault, my grievous 
fault; but I beseech Thee to pardon me for Christ's sake, 
through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and 
all the angels and saints of heaven, that with a joyful 
heart I may offer to Thee this holy sacrifice in union with 
the priest. I am fully resolved never again to offend 
against Thee, but, with the assistance of Thy grace, to 
serve Thee faithfully unto my life's end. 

JOIN WITH THE' PRIEST IN RECITING THREE TIMES: 

Kyrie eleison. 
Christe eleison. 
Kyrie eleison. 

AT THE GLORIA. 

Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace to 
men of good will. With all the angelic choirs we praise 
Thee, we adore Thee for Thy great glory and majesty. 
We bless Thee, we thank Thee, Eternal Father, for the 
decree of Thy mercy and charity, whereby Thou hast 
given Thy only-begotten Son for our salvation. We bless 
Thee, we thank Thee-, O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, 
Our Saviour, for Thy infinite condescension in becoming 
,man for us, in suffering and dying for us, and now renew- 
ing upon the altar the mystery of our redemption. We 



To U?iite Our Prayers with those of the Priest. 373 

bless Thee, we thank Thee, O life-giving Spirit, for the 
plenteousness of grace wherewith, for the sake of Christ's 
merits, Thou dost live and operate in the holy Catholic 
Church, and in all her faithful children. Manifest in our 
souls the power of Thy grace; cleanse and sanctify them, 
that they may form a diadem of glory for Our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ; that we may honor Him to all eter- 
nity, and in His presence praise and magnify God with all 
angels and saints in the courts of heaven. Amen. 

AT THE COLLECTS. 

Almighty and everlasting God, Who hast given to Thy 
servants, in the confession of the true faith, to acknowl- 
edge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and to adore the 
unity in the power of Thy majesty: grant that by stead- 
fastness in this faith we may ever be defended from all 
adversities. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. 

Lord Jesus Christ, Who wert subject to Mary and 
Joseph, and by Thy sublime virtues didst sanctify family 
life, grant that, by the intercession of the parents who 
watched over Thee, we may be imitators of the Holy 
Trinity on earth and be admitted to their blessed com- 
pany in heaven. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. 

FOR THE EPISTLE. (cOL. iii. 1 2-1 7.) 

Brethren, put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy 
and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, 
modesty, patience: bearing with one another, and forgiv- 
ing one another, if any have a complaint against another; 
even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But 
above all these things have charity, which is the bond of 
perfection. And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your 
hearts, wherein also you are called in one body; and be ye 
thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, 
in all wisdom. Teaching and admonishing one another in 



374 First Method of Hearmg Mass. 

psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in 
your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do, in word or 
in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. 

AT THE GOSPEL. 

Speak^ Lord, for Thy servant heareth. To whom shall 
we go: Thou hast the words of eternal life. Purify, O 
Lord, my heart; enlighten my understanding, animate my 
will, that Thy divine Word may be to me a seed which 
shall strike root, spring up, and bear fruit a hundredfold, 
— the fruit of virtue and holiness — to Thy glory and my 
eternal salvation. 

(St. Luke ii. 42-52.) When Jesus was twelve years 
old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the cus- 
tom of the feast, and having fulfilled the days, when they 
returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and His 
parents knew it not. And thinking that He was in the 
company, they came a day's journey, and sought Him 
among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And not finding 
Him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking Him. And 
it came to pass, that, after three days, they found Him 
in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing 
them, and asking them questions. And all that heard 
Him were astonished at His wisdom and His answers. 
And seeing Him, they wondered. And His Mother said 
to Him: Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold 
Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing. And He 
said to them: How is it that you sought Me? Did 
you not know that I must be about My Father's busi- 
ness ? And they understood not the word that He spoke 
unto them. And He went down with them, and came to 
Nazareth, and was subject to them. And His Mother 
kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced 
in wisdom and age, and grace with God and men. 



To Unite Our Prayers with those of the Priest » 375 
AT THE CREDO. 

When the Creed is read, repeat it silently, with rever- 
ence and faith. 

AT THE OFFERTORY. 

Accept, O Lord, this offering of bread and wine, which 
we make to Thee by the hands of Thy priest. It will 
soon be changed, as Thy well-beloved Son has ordained, 
into His true flesh and blood, and so it becomes a real 
sacrifice, the only sacrifice worthy to be offered to Thy 
divine majesty. Grant that these gifts as coming from 
us may find acceptance in Thy sight; grant that they 
may avail to wipe out our countless sins and shortcom- 
ings, that they may ascend as an odor of sweetness to 
the throne of Thy grace, and may thence descend in a 
copious shower of blessings for our health and salvation, 
and that of the whole world. 

With this oblation we lay our heart and our whole self 
upon the altar in union with Thy beloved Son. Purify 
us, sanctify us, dispose of us and of all we have accord- 
ing to Thy good pleasure. From Thy divine hand we 
will take whatever Thy wise providence shall appoint: 
toil and weariness, trial and sorrow, sickness and death, 
for we know that Thou dost guide and direct all things 
for our greater good and our eternal welfare, and dost 
only afflict and chastise us for our ultimate advantage. 
Give us patience and pious resignation to Thy holy will^ 
and the grace to persevere unto the end in the way of 
Thy commandments. 

In this solemn moment we will put far from us all 
earthly thoughts and desires, and ascend in spirit to 
heaven, and there take our stand among the blessed 
company of angels and saints, by whom, and for whom, 
this sacrifice of praise is offered to Thee, O Lord, in 
thanksgiving for all the favors thou hast bestowed on 



37^ First Method of Hearing Mass, 

them, for the merits they have gained, the heroic acts of 
virtue they have performed through the help of Thy 
grace, for the unspeakable glory and felicity which Thou 
hast given to them as their portion forever. May all 
these happy denizens of heaven, especially the one 
whose memory the Church celebrates to-day, or whose 
relics repose upon this altar, vouchsafe to intercede for 
us before Thy throne, that what we do to their honor 
may avail for our profit and salvation. 

AT THE PREFACE. 

With recollection of mind we lift up our hearts to 
Thee, O Lord, and render thanks anew to Thy divine 
majesty. For it is meet and just, right and salutary, 
that we should always and in all places give thanks to 
Thee. There is no time, no place, wherein we are not 
recipients of Thy bounteous gifts; there is no time, no 
place, wherein Thou, O merciful Father, dost not look 
upon us, ready to pour out upon us the riches of Thy 
grace, desirous to make us partakers in the infinite 
treasure of the merits of Thy Son. May we ever have a 
lively sense of Thy watchful care over us, of Thy ever- 
present majesty, for in Thee we live, and move, and are. 
May we never grow weary of Thy praise here on earth, 
and hereafter may we continue to laud and magnify 
Thee with the blessed company of heaven, who cease 
not to cry: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts; 
heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in 
the highest. Blessed is he tKat cometh in the name of 
the Lord, Hosanna in the highest." 

AT THE CANON. 

The nearer the solemn moment approaches, my God, 
when Thy only-begotten Son in His divinity and human- 
ity becomes present upon this altar under the form of 



To Unite Our Prayers with those of the Priest. 377 

bread and wine, the deeper is the awe and reverence I 
feel. Following the example of the priest, I enter into 
myself, and in silent supplication lay before Thee my 
desires and my necessities. 

By the infinite merits of this Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus 
Christ, we beseech Thee, O merciful Father, look down 
upon Thy holy Church, protect her, extend her, govern 
her; bless and guide her visible head, our Holy Father 
the Pope, our prelate, and all her faithful children. 
Have mercy upon all our parents and friends, all for 
whom it is our desire or our duty to pray, especially NN. 
Keep all evil far from us, preserve us all that is good, 
and, above all, grant to us Thy blessing and Thy love, 
and grace to persevere unto the end. 

Be mindful, O Lord, of the bitter sufferings and death 
of Thy Son, Our Lord, of the merits and virtues of the 
Blessed Virgin, of the holy apostles and martyrs and 
other saints, who during their earthly pilgrimage served 
Thee faithfully and found favor in Thy sight. All these, 
our brethren in glory, now plead on our behalf. Grant 
that by their intercession and the power of Christ's 
blood we may be delivered from eternal damnation and 
admitted to the company of the elect in heaven. The 
same Saviour Who redeemed them and purchased for 
them everlasting felicity shed His blood for us also. 
The sacrifice of atonement once offered on Calvary is 
now about to be renewed in an unbloody manner upon 
the altar in our sight. Look down, O heavenly Father? 
upon the face of Thy Christ, upon His wounds and 
precious blood, and grant us help in time of need. 

AT THE CONSECRATION. 

At the elevation of the host: Jesus, to Thee I live; to 
Thee I die, Jesus, in life and in death I am Thine. 
At the elevation of the chalice: Jesus, have pity upon 



37^ First Method of Hearing Mass. 

me; Jesus, be merciful to me. Jesus, grant me forgive- 
ness of sin, and bring me to life eternal. 

AFTER THE CONSECRATION. 

And now, my God, in accordance with His own com- 
mand, we call to mind the bitter passion, the glorious 
resurrection and ascension, of Thy only-begotten Son, 
Our Lord; we present Him to Thee, as the victim of 
the New Testament, veiled under the lowly form of 
bread and wine. Vouchsafe to look upon it propitiously, 
and for the sake of this sublime sacrifice look also upon 
us. Thy unworthy children, and accept our gift, as Thou 
wert graciously pleased to accept the sacrifice of Thy 
just servant Abel, of the faithful patriarch Abraham, and 
of Melchisedech, the high priest. 

We humbly beseech Thee that, together with this holy 
sacrifice, our hearts may be lifted up to Thy throne on 
high; admit them, with Thy beloved Son, to Thy paternal 
love; grant that we may be filled with all heavenly bene- 
diction, for the sake of Christ Jesus, Our Lord, Who has 
made us to be His brethren, and members of His mysti- 
cal body. 

Be mindful also, O Lord, of the souls of those who have 
gone before us with the sign of faith, and who sleep the 
sleep of peace. To these and to all that rest in Christ 
grant for His sake refreshment, light, and eternal rest. 

And to us sinners, Thy servants, grant in the time to 
come, through the intercession of Thy holy martyrs and 
saints, some share in their felicity, not considering our 
merits, but pardoning us according to Thy mercy and 
clemency. Through Christ, and with Him, may we praise 
and glorify Thee in time and in eternity. Following His 
divine command and precept, we venture to approach 
Thee with filial confidence, and say; " Our Father," etc. 



To Unite Our Prayers with those of the Priest. 379 
AT THE AGNUS DEI. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, 
grant us peace. 

BEFORE THE COMMUNION. 

(If you do not intend to receive holy communion, endeavor 
to awaken within your heart the desire to receive it as soon 
and as worthily as possible, and ask this grace of God.) 

My God and my Redeemer, Thou hast enjoined upon 
us, under pain of eternal perdition, to receive the adorable 
sacrament of Thy body and blood, saying: " Except 
you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His 
blood, you shall not have life in you." But Thou hast 
also taught us by the mouth of Thy apostle: "Whoso- 
ever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the 
Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the 
blood of the Lord. . . . He eateth and drinketh judg- 
ment to himself." Never, O my Saviour, let me so far 
forget the debt of love I owe Thee as to incur the guilt 
of profaning the adorable sacrament of Thy love. 
Grant me grace to approach this heavenly banquet of 
Thy body and blood with a heart purified by confession 
and penance, so that I may worthily participate in the 
rich fruits of grace and sanctity of which it is the source. 

AT THE COMMUNION OF THE PRIEST. 

Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under 
my roof, say but the word and my soul shall be healed. 
[Three times.] 

Since, O my Saviour, I cannot actually receive Thee 
as the food of my soul in the Adorable Sacrament, I will 



380 First Method of Hearing Mass. 

at least communicate spiritually, and thus gain some 
measure of profit. 

Prostrate before Thee in spirit, I declare my firm and 
steadfast belief that Thou art really and actually here 
present in the Most Holy Sacrament under the form of 
bread — present in Thy flesh and blood, Thy body and 
soul, Thy divinity and humanity, living, glorified, im- 
mortal. I believe this because Thou hast said it, and 
Thou, the Eternal Truth, hast commanded us to believe it. 

Who am I that I should venture to draw nigh to 
Thee ? I am poor and weak, a wretched sinner who has 
often offended against Thee, the infinite God. Thou 
hast done all that Thy omnipotence. Thy wisdom. Thy 
love could devise to load me with benefits, and I have 
returned them with ingratitude. But now from the bot- 
tom of my heart I repent of my base unthankfulness and 
many sins, because they have displeased Thee, my merci- 
ful Father, Who art the supreme good, beautiful in Thy 
perfection. I love Thee, O my God, I love Thee above 
all; I will never forsake Thy love, nor offend against Thee 
again. 

Would that I could now clinch my resolution by re- 
ceiving the sacrament of Thy love. I long for the bliss- 
ful moment when I shall be permitted to receive Thee. 
But now at least let me approach in spirit to kiss the 
sacred wounds Thou didst receive for my sake; in spirit 
hide myself in Thy pierced side, Thy divine heart, that 
I may live not only by what Thou hast done for me, but 
may live with Thee and for Thee, as Thy child, Thy 
brother, as a member of that mystical body of which 
Thou art the head. Thy infinite goodness and power. 
Thy gracious invitation. Thy unfailing promise, encour- 
age me to hope that Thou wilt not despise Thy poor 
suppliant, but wilt receive me in mercy, and enrich me 
with Thy grace and Thy love, 



To Unite Our Prayers with those of the Priest, 38 1 

PRAYER AFTER THE COMMUNION OF THE PRIEST. 

We humbly beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that we, 
whom Thou hast called to the participation of the 
heavenly banquet of Thy body and blood, may by Thee 
be fashioned after Thy divine heart, that we may be 
made meek and humble of heart, and learn to abhor the 
vain frivolities of the world. 

Grant, O Lord, that the effect of this Most Holy Sacra- 
ment may so operate in our soul and our body that in 
all our actions we may no longer follow the natural im- 
pulses of our heart, but may in all things obey the in- 
spirations of Thy grace, and ever give thanks to Thee 
for this celestial gift. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. 
Amen. 

AT THE ITE, MISSA EST, AND THE BLESSING. 

Holy Trinity, may this sacrifice be pleasing to Thee. 
Look not upon my unworthiness, but upon the merits of 
Christ, and make us through Him to find mercy and for- 
giveness. May God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost, bless us and all- whom we love. Amen. 

AT THE LAST GOSPEL AND THE CONCLUSION OF MASS. 

1 give Thee thanks. Eternal Father, that Thou hast 
permitted me to assist once more at this sublime sacri- 
fice, enabling me thereby to pay the homage that is meet 
to Thy infinite majesty, to render Thee adequate thanks 
for the countless benefits Thou hast bestowed on me, 
and to offer Thee abundant satisfaction for my manifold 
sins, as well as for the transgressions of the whole world. 
It is only through Thy grace and bounty that I have 
been capable of doing this; and for this I offer Thee 
my heartfelt thanks. I thank Thee also for all the gifts 
and graces which, in virtue of this holy sacrifice of the 
Mass, Thou hast bestowed and will yet bestow upon me 



38^ Second Method of Hearing Mass, 

for the profit of my soul, and for all the benefits Thou 
hast conferred upon others in answer to my prayers. 
Forgive the wandering thoughts, the inattention of 
which I have been guilty during the celebration of the 
holy mysteries. And I ask of Thee this one grace: May 
we never fall away from Thy love, but increase in it 
more and more, and frequently unite ourselves in all we 
do or suffer to the intentions of Thy only-begotten Son, 
Jesus Christ, Our Lord. 



SECOND METHOD OF HEARING MASS. 

OF WHICH THE PRINCIPAL MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY 
SACRIFICE FORM THE SUBJECT. 



TO DIRECT THE INTENTION SAY.* 

My God, I desire to assist at this holy Mass in order: 
I. To adore, praise, and bless Thee in concert with all 
the angels who are here present; 2. To give Thee thanks 
for all the benefits Thou hast conferred on me; 3. To 
make satisfaction for my sins; 4. To obtain the assist- 
ance that I need both for my soul and my body. 

OR THIS PRAYER MAY BE USED BEFORE HIGH MASS: 

In the spirit of profound humility and fervent charity 
I, Thy unworthy servant, offer to Thee, almighty, eternal 
God, my Lord and heavenly Father, this most holy 
sacrifice, which Thy divine Son Himself presents to Thee 
through the instrumentality of the priest. I offer it to 
Thee in union with that sublime oblation which Jesus 
Christ made to Thee at the Last Supper, and afterwards 
upon the cross, with tears and sweat of blood, and strong 



Considering the Myste^^ies of the Holy Sacrifice, 383 

cries. I offer it to Thee for Thy honor and glory, as a 
tribute of praise to Thy infinite perfections, and as a 
recognition of Thy sovereign dominion over heaven and 
earth. I offer it to Thee in testimony of my subjection, 
as a public profession of the Catholic faith, by which 
alone we can be saved, and as a memorial of the passion 
and death of Christ. I offer it to Thee in thanksgiving 
for the institution of the Adorable Sacrament of the 
Altar, and for all the benefits bestowed on me and on 
mankind in general. I offer it to Thee in atonement for 
my sins, and the sins of all men, whether living or dead. 
I offer it to Thee for the exaltation of the holy Catholic 
Church, for the preservation of the peace of Christen- 
dom, for the conversion of heretics and unbelievers. I 
offer it to Thee for all ecclesiastical superiors, for all 
Catholics, for my relatives, friends, and benefactors, for 
all who have asked my prayers, or for whom I ought 
to pray, and for those who are my enemies and perse- 
cutors. Finally, I offer it to Thee for all unrepentant 
sinners, for the dying, and for the souls in purgatory. 

Most merciful God, by the virtue of this holy Mass, 
and of all other Masses which shall be offered this day, 
for the sake of the inestimable value of Thy precious 
blood, I entreat Thee to grant me: i. The special grace 
that I ask of Thee in this Mass; 2. Help and consola- 
tion, grace and blessing, both for time and for eternity; 
3. All that is most conducive to the salvation of my 
soul; 4. A good life and a happy death. Finally, I ask 
Thee to give me Thyself, to be my eternal joy and 
beatitude, 

AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR. 

Poor and sinful creature that I am, O just and merci- 
ful God, I fear, on account of the number and magni- 
tude of my transgressions, to appear before Thy divine 



384 Second Method of Hearing Mass, 

majesty; I fear to utter Thy praise with lips so defiled 
with sin, because both sin and the sinner are an abomina- 
tion in Thy sight* 

Wherefore I confess to Thee, the omnipotent and all 
wise God, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to my guardian 
angel, and to all the heavenly host, that I, to my sorrow, 
have committed many and grievous sins up to this time. 
For all these sins, whether known or unknown, I am 
very sorry, and I repe^it of them with my whole heart, 
not so much through dread of the penalties, temporal 
and eternal, which I have incurred thereby, as because I 
have offended against Thee, my God, Who art the 
supreme Good. I make a firm resolution never to offend 
Thee again by my sin, and to love Thee, and Thee only, 
to all eternity. 

After this confession I will go up to the altar in spirit 
with the priest, and with him I will say: 

V, Thou wilt turn again, O God, and quicken us. 

R, And Thy people shall rejoice in Thee. 

V. Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy. 

R. And grant us Thy salvation. 

V. O Lord, hear my prayer. 

R. And let my cry come unto Thee; for a contrite 
heart Thou wilt not despise, and Thou wilt not reject 
the prayer of the humble. 

AT THE GLORIA. 

Most Holy Trinity, one God, with deepest reverence 
I praise and worship Thy supreme majesty, Thy eternal 
Godhead. Thou art more beautiful and precious to me 
than all things that are in heaven and on earth. I re- 
joice, O most high God, in Thy infinite greatness, power, 
wisdom, sanctity, goodness, mercy, and justice. I desire 
from the bottom of my heart that all men may know 
Thee, love Thee, and magnify Thee to all eternity. 



Considering the Mysteries of the Holy Sacrifice, 385 

Willingly would I accept labor and suffering, nay, gladly 
would I even shed my blood, if by this means I could 
cause Thee to be no more sinned against, but praised 
and glorified as is meet. 

I thank Thee as best I can, most good and bounteous 
God, for all the benefits which hitherto I have received 
from Thy fatherly hand, I give myself to Thee, body 
and soul; I offer to Thee all the good that I have ever 
done, all the pains I have ever endured for love of Thee, 
as well as all the work and suffering that may yet be in 
store for me. But since this gift is far too poor and 
mean, as a proof of my gratitude I offer Thee all that 
the just on earth, all that the saints in heaven, and pre- 
eminently the glorious queen of heaven, have done and 
suffered for Thy love. 

Finally, I offer Thee all that Jesus Christ did and en- 
dured for us as an oblation worthy of Thy acceptance, 
and pleasing in Thy sight. At the same time I humbly 
pray Thee to receive this gift of infinite value from the 
hand of Thy divine Son, that thus I may render Thee 
thanks, may praise and glorify Thee in a fitting manner, 
through Jesus Christ, our advocate with Thee. 

AT THE GOSPEL. 

My God and my Lord, Who art infinitely wise, unerring 
in Thy judgment, infallible in Thy words, Who art Thy- 
self very truth and eternal wisdom, I accept all the 
teaching of the Catholic Church, with full knowledge and 
free will, without any reserve. I acknowledge and attest 
before the whole world, before all the heavenly host, that 
I firmly believe all that the holy Church proposes to be 
believed. Although there is much which I am unable to 
comprehend, yet I receive and believe it all, in the firm 
conviction that it is revealed to us by Thee, my God, 
Who canst not deceive nor be deceived. And in order to 



386 Second Method of Hearing Mass. 

show that it is my fixed determination never to deny 
this faith, and rather to lay down my life than to secede 
from the Catholic Church, I now solemnly promise, in 
the presence of Thy divine majesty, to remain steadfast 
to the faith of Thy Church until my last breath. Thou 
art all truth, O my God, Who hast said: "In the begin- 
ning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the 
Word was God." (St. John i. i.) I earnestly entreat 
Thee, my God, to preserve me in this faith; to strengthen 
and increase it in my heart; to keep far from me all 
temptations contrary to it; to accept as a full profession 
of this faith my last communion, and the kiss my dying 
lips press upon the crucifix; finally, in virtue of this 
faith, according to Thy promise, to grant me admittance 
into everlasting bliss. Amen. 

AT THE OFFERTORY. 

Almighty Father, holy and eternal God, accept this 
sacred host which I offer to Thee, the living and true 
God, by the hands of the priest, as a satisfaction for my 
countless sins, negligences, and imperfections, and also for 
the temporal and eternal welfare of all orthodox believers, 
whether living or dead. 

At the same time I offer to Thee, O heavenly Father, 
my understanding and my memory, beseeching Thee to 
enlighten and sanctify them, that henceforth nothing 
may occupy my mind and thoughts but what is pleasing 
unto Thee. 

To Thee I surrender my will, uniting it so closely 
with Thy will that I may seek after nothing but Thee, 
love nothing but Thee, desire nothing but what Thou 
dost will, whensoever and wheresoever it may please 
Thee. 

To Thee I give my body and soul, all that I am, all 
that I have, with all my powers. Take me for Thy own, 



Considering the Mysteries of the Holy Sacrifice, 387 

O my God, and give me Thyself ! I am Thine ; Thine 
in life and in death; let me not perish eternally. Amen. 

AT THE PREFACE. 

Almighty, eternal God, our Lord and heavenly Father, 
look with the eyes of Thine immeasurable mercy upon 
our misery, our destitution, our sorrows. Have com- 
passion upon all faithful Christians, for whom Thy only- 
begotten Son, our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
of His own free will delivered Himself into the hands 
of sinners, and shed His precious blood upon the cross. 
For the sake of this Our Lord Jesus Christ avert from 
us the chastisements which we have well deserved; all 
dangers, present and future; disturbances, wars, famine, 
sickness; and let our days be peaceful. Enlighten our 
rulers, both ecclesiastical and secular; strengthen them 
in all that is good, that in whatever they do they may 
promote Thy glory, our salvation, and the general wel- 
fare of Christendom. 

Grant us, O God of peace, to be united in one faith 
without schism or divisions. Bring us to true repentance 
and amendment of life, kindle in us the fire of Thy love; 
make us hunger and thirst after justice, that, as Thy 
obedient children, we may be pleasing and acceptable to 
Thee in life and in death. We also pray, for it is Thy 
will that we should thus pray, for our friends and our 
enemies, for those who are well and those who are sick, 
for all our fellow-Christians who are in trouble and 
afflicted, for the living and for the dead. To Thee we 
consecrate all we do or leave undone, our work and our 
conversation, our life and our death. Grant that we 
may enjoy Thy favor here, and hereafter, with Thine 
elect, laud, magnify, and bless Thee in the land of peace 
and everlasting bliss. We ask this, O Lord, our heavenly 
Father, for the sake of Thy beloved Son, Our Lord and 



388 Second Method of Hearing Mass. 

Saviour, Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and 
reigneth world without end. Amen. 

AT THE CONSECRATION. 

I adore Thee upon the altar, Christ Jesus, born of the 
Virgin Mary, sacrificed upon the cross for man's salva- 
tion. Hail, Jesus, my Lord, my Saviour, my God, my 
supreme good. I believe in Thee, O truth infallible ! I 
hope in Thee, O infinite bounty ! I love Thee, my God 
and my all ! 

Hail, precious blood, that flowed from the wounds of 
my crucified Saviour, and is now reunited to His sacred 
body in this adorable sacrament. Cleanse, purify, en- 
lighten, strengthen my soul, and preserve it to life eternal. 
Amen. 

AFTER THE CONSECRATION. 

Most loving and merciful Father, I beseech Thee no 
longer to look upon me, an unhappy sinner, but upon 
Him Who has taken upon Himself my transgressions, 
Jesus, Thy beloved Son, Who now, in His office of medi- 
ator between Thee and me, is present upon this altar in 
His Godhead and humanity, in His body and soul, in 
His flesh and blood. 

Consider, O Father of mercy, the infinite value of this 
oblation, and for the sake of this precious body and 
blood give us remission both of the guilt and the pen- 
alty of our sins, and pour out upon us in copious meas- 
ure Thy celestial gifts and graces. 

Look in mercy, O most compassionate Father, upon 
the suffering souls in purgatory, and relieve those who 
are most forsaken and destitute of assistance. 

[Here commend to God the souls for whom you ought 
to pray, and those whose speedy release you have most at 
heart.] 

Look also in Thy clemency upon the souls who are 



Considering the Mysteries of the Holy Sacrifice. 389 

most dear to Thee, to Thy divine Son and His blessed 
Mother, and accept in expiation of their guilt the super- 
abundant satisfaction made by Thy Son in His bitter 
agony and death upon the cross. Grant that one drop 
of His precious blood may be given for their relief, 
and procure for them admittance into eternal felicity. 
Amen 

AT THE PATER NOSTER. 

O Father of mercies and God of all consolation, 
Thou alone art worthy to receive all honor, praise, love, 
and obedience — Father, Whose property it is always to 
have mercy and to spare ! 

Father, Who art in heaven and on earth, in heaven in 
Thy glory and majesty, on earth in Thy goodness and 
justice, to Thee we raise our eyes, our hands, our hearts. 
Have compassion upon Thy exiled children, who send 
up their sighs to Thee, in this valley of tears. 

Father, hallowed be Thy name by me and by all men; 
by the just and by sinners, by believers and by unbe- 
lievers. Hallowed be Thy name in all our thoughts, 
words, and works, that all we do and suffer may be to 
the glory of Thy name and that of Thy Son. 

Father, Thy kingdom come ! Thou art our sovereign 
Lord and King, the God of our heart. Take from us 
the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the 
eyes, the pride of life. Dwell in us, reign in us accord- 
ing to Thy good pleasure, and lead us in the way of Thy 
commandments to Thy heavenly and eternal kingdom. 

Father, Thy will be done, whether it be painful or 
pleasant to us, whether it bring to us prosperity or ad- 
versity, life or death. Father, Thy will be done in us 
as perfectly as it is done in heaven, as perfectly as it was 
done by Thy divine Son when He became obedient even 
to the death of the cross. 



390 Second Method of Hearing Mass, 

Father, give us our daily bread ! From Thy fatherly 
hand we look to receive all that we need here below for 
soul and body. Bestow Thy gifts upon us, and grant us 
grace so to seek things temporal that we may not thereby 
lose things eternal. 

Father, forgive us our debts, that is, our sins, and the 
punishments due to them. Forgive us our mortal and 
our venial sins; for out of love to Thee we repent of 
them with our whole heart. Forgive us our daily faults 
and frailties as often as we turn to Thee with contrite 
hearts. Father, forgive us all the guilt of our sins, espe- 
cially at the hour of our departure out of this world; for- 
give us, as we forgive those who have offended against us. 

Father, lead us not into temptation ! Let us not be 
overcome when assailed by the tempter; stand by us with 
the all-powerful help of Thy grace. Let Thy holy angels 
ever guard and protect us. 

Father, deliver us from evil — from all evils, temporal 
and spiritual, past, present, and to come. We ask this 
of Thy boundless mercy; we ask it through Jesus Christ, 
Our Lord. Amen. 

AT THE COMMUNION. 

Make a spiritual communion in the following manner: 
I adore Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true 
man. Who art here present upon the altar under the veil 
of the sacramental species. With deepest reverence I 
fall before Thy face. I am sorry from the bottom of my 
heart for having displeased Thee, my God and my sov- 
ereign Good. I now renounce all sin, 1 resolve to banish 
all evil inclinations and desires from my heart, in order 
to prepare for Thee a fit dwelling-place in a heart set 
free from sin. 

Since I am not worthy to receive Thy body and blood 
in the Most Holy Sacrament this day, I entreat Thee to 



Considering the Mysteries of the Holy Sacrifice. 391 

look upon me with Thy clemency and come to me spir- 
itually. O sweet and loving Jesus, come to me in Thy 
love and Thy goodness; come with Thy celestial gifts 
and graces to satisfy this hungry soul of mine ! 

Jesus, beloved of my heart, grant that the fire of Thy 
divine charity may consume in me all that is sinful, 
worldly, earthly. Jesus, beloved of my soul, give me to 
rejoice in Thy presence, strengthen me to lead a 
Christian life, and persevere in Thy grace unto my life's 
end. 

Jesus, the ruler of all my powers, Thou knowest the 
secrets of my heart; Thou knowest all my crosses and 
sorrows, my desires and interests, my needs and necessi- 
ties. To Thee I commend myself, body and soul, and 
all who are near and dear to me; to Thy care I intrust 
all that I am, all that I have. Do with me according to 
Thy good pleasure; I have no other wish than that Thy 
most holy will be done in me, and ail who are related to 
me, at all times and in all places. 

Above all, I beseech Thee, most loving Jesus, do 
not permit me, or any one dear to me, to fall into mortal 
sin; give us grace to be diligent in the practice of Chris- 
tian virtues, to bear all things and do all things out of 
love to Thee, to desire nothing but Thee, to lead a 
pious life, to die in Thy grace, and to be happy for all 
eternity. Amen. 

AT THE BLESSING. 

God the Father, bless us; God the Son, protect us; God 
the Holy Ghost, enlighten us ! May we be strengthened 
and confirmed in all good in virtue of the bitter passion 
of Christ; through the intercession of the saints may 
we be preserved from all sin and all evil. Amen. 



392 Third Method of Hearing Mass, 



THIRD METHOD OF HEARING MASS 
IN HONOR OF OUR LORD's BITTER PASSION. 



TO DIRECT THE INTENTION. 

I purpose to assist with devotion at this holy Mass, 
and in union with the priest, to offer it up to God, first, 
in memory of the Passion of my Saviour, and as an act 
of thanksgiving; secondly, to make satisfaction for my 
manifold sins; thirdly, to obtain a fervent love for 
Jesus crucified; fourthly, to implore the grace of un- 
flinching patience in trials and sufferings; fifthly, to 
obtain a happy death in the arms of my divine Saviour. 

AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF MASS. 

Call to mind the sadness of Jesus, His prayer in the 
Garden, His sweat of blood. 

1. O Jesus, who wert sorrowful even unto death, for 
the sake of the fear, the distress, the anguish, the agony 
of Thy heart, inspire me with a salutary fear of God, 
which will preserve me from mortal sin, whatever my 
dangers and temptations may be. Be with me in my 
last agony, lest my soul be overwhelmed with fear and 
horror. 

2. O Jesus, Who didst fall upon Thy face upon the 
ground, my sins thus bowed Thee down, oppressed Thee 
thus heavily. Alas ! I grieve from the bottom of my 
heart that I should ever have offended against Thee, my 
God, the supreme Good, worthy of all love. I entreat 
Thee, O Jesus, to offer to Thy heavenly Father the 
threefold prayer which Thy lips uttered in the Garden 



In Honor of Our Lord^s Passion. 393 

of Olives, and grant me grace nevermore to offend 
against Thee. 

3. O Jesus, covered with a sweat of blood, I lay all 
my sins and iniquities in the blood that flowed from Thy 
sacred body ; wash me, O Jesus, in Thy blood ; adorn 
me with it as .with the wedding-garment, arrayed in which 
I must one day appear before Thee, to be thereby recog- 
nized as Thy servant, and admitted to the number of 
Thine elect. Amen. 

AT THE GLORIA, THE COLLECTS, AND THE EPISTLE. 

Consider (i) how Jesus was led as a prisoner into the 
town ; (2) how He was buffeted and struck in the face ; 
(3) how He was mocked in the high priest's house. 

1. O my captive Jesus, Who of Thy own freewill didst 
allow Thyself to be taken captive as a malefactor by 
wicked men, Who wert bound, dragged through the brook 
Cedron, and led through the streets of Jerusalem — I 
devoutly venerate the ropes and fetters that bound Thee, 
and I desire earnestly with the apostle Paul to be a 
prisoner of Jesus Christ. Bind me hand and foot with 
the cords of Thy love ; let all the powers of my body 
and soul be held captive to Thee; attach me so firmly to 
Thyself, that nothing may ever separate me from Thee. 

2. O most patient Jesus, for the sake of the blows, the 
buffets, the strokes Thou didst receive because of me, 
deliver me from the temporal and eternal punishment of 
my sins. And if it be Thy holy will and conducive to 
my salvation that I should suffer the penalty of sin here 
upon earth, I beseech Thee so to fortify me with Thy 
grace that I maybe ready to exclaim: Burn, cut away 
all that is evil here in time, but spare me in eternity ! 

3. O most long-suffering Jesus, by the shameful spit- 
ting and. buffeting whereby Thy divine cauntenance was 



394 Third Method of Hearing Mass, 

cruelly disfigured; by the mockery, the blasphemies, the 
outrages hurled at Thee by wicked men, all of which 
Thou didst endure in silence with amazing patience — I 
pray Thee to pardon my sins, both open and hidden ; 
extinguish within me anger, hatred, desire of revenge ; 
give me the strength I need to bear patiently and silently, 
for love of Thee, all the contempt and injury to which I 
may be exposed. 

AT THE GOSPEL AND THE CREDO. 

Think to thyself how Jesus was (i) falsely accused; (2) 
clothed with ignominy ; (3) declared guilty of death. 

1. O most meek Jesus, Who wert so innocent, so stain- 
less, so far removed from all sin, Thou wert yet falsely 
accused. Alas ! against me my sins rise up, and accuse 
me before the tribunal of Thy divine justice. Woe to 
me, unhappy sinner, unless Thou in mercy spare me I 
shall be lost forever. Wherefore with deep contrition I 
cast myself at Thy feet, and earnestly implore Thee: 
Have mercy upon me ! Have mercy upon me, O Jesus, 
according to Thy great mercy ! 

2. O Jesus, worthy of all honor and worship. Thou 
wert slandered and reviled at the judgment-seat of Thine 
enemies, although Thou didst ever seek and maintain the 
glory of Thy heavenly Father ; grant me the courage I 
need, that I may never, under any circumstances, act in a 
manner contrary to Thy honor and that of Thy Father; 
that I may never suffer any oath or blasphemous word to 
be uttered in my presence, but may do all to the glory of 
God, and make it my aim to promote His glory and 
defend His holy name from insult. 

3. O Jesus, Thou Who art perfect innocence wert with 
gross injustice declared deserving of death, whilst I by 
my sins have frequently merited eternal damnation. 



In Honor of Our Lord's Passion, 395 

Merciful Jesus, I beseech Thee, enter not into judgment 
with Thy servant ! I take as my advocate Thy mother 
and mine, the Mother of Dolors, and as my intercessors 
my guardian angel and my patron saint ; they will not 
allow the sentence of condemnation to be passed on me. 
Amen. 

AT THE OFFERTORY. 

Consider how Jesus was (i) scourged; (2) crowned with 
thorns ; (3) condemned to death. 

1. O most pure and chaste Jesus, how cruelly wert 
Thous courged ! From the head to the feet Thy tender 
body is one vast wound. I, alas ! deserved to be thus 
scourged on account of my sins, and Thou, Who art inno- 
cence itself, didst receive that terrible castigation in my 
stead. Behold, O heavenly Father, the wounds of Thy 
dear Son, my Saviour ; and accept His precious blood 
to wipe out my transgressions. O Jesus, covered with 
wounds and blood, give me a chaste heart and a pure 
mind ; let me never do or permit others to do anything 
that is contrary to the modesty becoming to a Christian. 

2. O Jesus, Whose regal diadem is love, to Thee belongs 
by right a golden crown of glory, and to me, on account 
of my vanity and pride, the thorny crown of shame and 
contempt. O Jesus, my King, press upon my proud 
temples Thy crown of love and of suffering, and let me 
become like unto Thee, meek, patient, and lowly of 
heart ! 

3. O Jesus, Who being entirely innocent, wert yet con- 
demned to death, how shall I feel when, after my death, 
the sentence is given which will decide my fate for all 
eternity? I earnestly beseech Thee, by Thy precious 
blood and Thy sacred wounds, by Thy stainless inno- 
cence and by the immaculate heart of Mary, grant that 



39^ Third Method of Hearing Mass^ 

when I stand before Thy judgment-seat I may hear the 
consoling words: " Come, blessed of My Father, enter 
thou into the joy of thy Lord." Amen, 

AT THE PREFACE AND THE CANON. 

Think how Jesus (i) took the cross upon His shoulders; 
(2) carried it to the place of execution ; (3) was nailed 
to the cross. 

1. Hail, fair and holy cross ! Thou art become 
beautiful and precious because of the divine limbs that 
hung upon thee, the crimson tide from Jesus* veins 
that dyed thy stem. I humbly venerate thee, I lov- 
ingly embrace thee, I gladly take thee on my shoulders. 
My Jesus, do Thou lay upon me poverty and misery, 
sickness and persecution, whatever may be Thy holy will. 
Strengthened by Thee, suffering with Thee, Whom I be- 
hold bearing the cross, weighed down beneath its load, I 
hope to bear every trial with patience, nay, with joy, even 
unto my life's end. 

2. O wondrous cross, I welcome thee, I embrace thee 
a thousand times. Be thou to me a sure defence in 
every conflict with the enemies of my salvation, visible 
or invisible. O precious cross, be to me a tree of life, in 
whose shadow I may rest in the hour of sorrow and ad- 
versity, whose sweet fruit shall give refreshment to my 
weary heart. By thee, life-giving cross, I shall be lifted 
upwards; by thee, as by a ladder, I shall be enabled, in 
my last hour, to ascend to heaven. 

3. Fasten me, O Jesus, to Thy cross by these nails, the 
fear of God and the love of God. Impress Thy cross as 
a seal upon my heart; imprint it in the centre of my soul. 
My sole desire, my last entreaty is this: that in life 
and in -death I may rest in the arms of Jesus, stretched 
put for my sake upon the cross of pain. Amen, 



In Honor of Our Lord'^s Passion, 397 

AT THE CONSECRATION. 

Picture to thyself Christ upon the cross, and say: 

Jesus, my God and Saviour, Who art here present 
upon the altar, I believe that, according to Thy own in- 
fallible word, Thou art that very same Son of God Who, 
for the salvation of all mankind, hung upon the cross. 
Draw me upward towards Thee, away from the en- 
tanglements of this miserable world, clasp me in Thy 
loving arms, hide me in Thy sacred wounds, adorn me 
with Thy virtues, confirm me with Thy grace. O good 
Jesus, hear and answer me! Let me never be separated 
from Thee. 

Imagine thyself watching the blood of Jesus as it drops 
from the cross, and say: 

This blood upon the altar, O Jesus, is the self-same 
blood that flowed from the wounds of Thy sacred body 
upon the cross. O blessed Jesus, let not this precious 
blood have been shed in vain for me a sinner. Let it be 
for my safety and salvation, and for that of all men both 
living and dead. Amen. 

AFTER THE CONSECRATION. 

Think upon the agony which Jesus endured for three 
hours upon the cross, and say: 

1. By the bitter anguish of soul which Thou, O Lord 
Jesus, didst endure for me whilst hanging on the cross, 
especially in that final struggle in which Thou didst 
overcome death, have pity on me in my last struggle, 
when soul and body shall be torn asunder. 

2. O Jesus, Who didst suffer such torments upon the 
cross, by the merits of Thy passion and death, whereby 
Thou didst make full atonement for the sins of the world, 
forgive me my sins and misdeeds; deliver me from the 



39^ Third Method of Hearing Mas^, 

guilt and punishment of sin by the rich ransom Thou 
hast paid for me. 

3. O Jesus, forsaken even by God in Thy last agony, 
upon Thy cruel sufferings and death I rest all my hope 
and conftdence; Thy cross is my refuge; in it alone I 
hope to find life and salvation. When I think upon Thy 
three hours' agony, not even the multitude of my iniqui- 
ties have power to terrify me. For was it not in order 
that I might have a happy death, that I might not be 
lost forever, that Thou didst hang upon the cross, that 
Thou didst suffer such unutterable pain and torture ? I 
cannot, I will not despair, since Thy cross. Thy wounds, 
Thy blood, are my ransom. -By Thy cross I will put to 
flight all my spiritual enemies; to Thy sacred wounds I 
will appeal when I stand before Thy dread tribunal; 
with Thy blood, the most precious of all treasures, I will 
purchase admittance into the courts of heaven. Amen. 

AT THE PATER NOSTER. 

Reflect upon the seven words of Christ upon the cross, 
and say: 

1. O most merciful Jesus, Who whilst hanging upon the 
cross didst say: " Father, forgive them," I pray Thee to 
forgive me my sins, and make me ready to forgive, so 
that for love of Thee I may fully and freely pardon all 
who have ever done me wrong. 

2. O most merciful Jesus, Who didst say to the repent- 
ant thief: ** This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise," 
grant me the grace so to live, that when, in the hour of my 
death, I fix my eyes upon Thy cross, I may hear within 
my heart those words of consolation addressed to me 
also: " This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise." 

3. O most loving Jesus, Thou didst say to Thy mother: 
" Woman, behold thy Son !" and to the disciple: " Be- 



In Ho7ior of Our Lord's Passion, 399 

hold thy mother !" With filial confidence I implore Thee 
to give me Thy sorrowful Mother as my mother, and ask 
her intercession to deliver me from all evil, to confirm me 
in grace, and ensure for me a happy death. 

4. O Jesus, abandoned by Thy Father, Thou didst ex- 
claim: " My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ?" 
By thy sad dereliction, I beseech Thee to be my sup- 
port and strength in time of distress, and, above all, at my 
latter end. 

5. O Jesus, in Thy hour of desolation Thou didst cry: 
" I thirst !" I too thirst for the living water which flows 
from Thy pierced side. For this one thing I ask, that 
the last refreshment and quickening draught my soul shall 
receive on earth may be the adorable sacrament of Thy 
sacred body and blood. 

6. O most obedient Jesus, Whose dying lips uttered 
the words, " It is consummated ! *' let me not depart 
hence, I implore Thee, before I have accomplished all 
that is pleasing to Thee and befitting a good Christian, 
in regard to both the things of time and of eternity. 

7. O Jesus, Who at the moment of death didst cry 
aloud, " Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit ! " 
with all intensity of devotion and earnest entreaty I be- 
seech Thee to grant me the grace, that the last prayer my 
lips may utter may be this: *^ Jesus, to Thee I live; to 
Thee I die. Jesus, in lif-e and in death I am Thine. 
Jesus, Mary, Joseph, into your blessed hands I commend 
my spirit. Amen." 

AT THE COMMUNION. 

Take your stand with Mary and John beneath the 
cross, and say: 

O Jesus, crucified for me. Thy attitude upon the 
cross is expressive of charity and full of mercy for me; 



400 Third Me' hod of Hearing Mass, 

Thy head is bowed down to give me the kiss of peace; 
Thy arms are extended to embrace me; Thy feet are 
made fast with nails to await my coming; Thy whole 
body is stretched out for my redemption; and each one 
of Thy wounds is a voice calling to me: "Come unto 
Me, all you who labor and are burdened." 

I come at Thy call, O blessed Jesus; I come with the 
penitent Magdalen to cast myself at Thy feet; for love of 
Thee I repent of all my sins, I bewail them with tears, 
because they are displeasing to Thy infinite goodness 
and sanctity. I come with Thomas, no longer incredu- 
lous, but believing, to touch the sacred wounds of Thy 
hands. Thy feet, Thy side; with him I exclaim: My God 
and my Lord, my Saviour and my Redeemer, hide me in 
Thy wounds, keep me in Thy wounds, sanctify me by 
Thy wounds; let them be my meat and drink, let me 
never depart thence, but in them let me die, and thus 
enter upon a blissful eternity ! Finally, I come with John, 
the beloved disciple, not only to -lean my head upon 
Thy breast, but to lay my heart within Thy most loving 
heart. In that furnace of love, O Jesus, my Saviour, 
may my cold heart gain heat and be inflamed ! And in 
this wise, every time that I receive holy communion, let 
my heart be united to Thy heart, that I may become one 
with Thee: I shall then no longer live to myself, but to 
Thee, or rather Thou wilt live in me, until at length I 
die in Thy love, in order to live with Thee, to love Thee, 
to magnify Thee to all eternity. Amen. 

AT THE CONCLUSION OF MASS. 

Contemplate in spirit the body of Jesus in the arms of 
His Mother, and addressing yourself to Mary, say: 

O most afHicted and sorrowful Mother, I beseech thee 
by thy seven dolors, and especially by the sword of sor- 
row that transfixed thy soul when the body of Jesus was 



In Behalf of the Poor Souls, 401 

taken down from the cross and laid in thy arms, offer to 
thy Son this Mass which 1 have just heard, with my poor 
prayers, in union with thy tears, thy sorrows, the grief of 
thy heart, and by thy intercession obtain for me an an- 
swer to my petitions. Amen. 



FOURTH METHOD OF HEARING MASS. 
OFFERED IN BEHALF OF THE POOR SOULS. 



BEFORE MASS. 

O most merciful Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst institute 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass for the salvation and relief 
of both living and dead, I offer to Thee this holy Mass, 
and the prayers which I shall say during this Mass for 
the soul of NN., as well as for all other souls now suffer- 
ing the torments of the purgatorial fire. I beseech Thee, 
O good Jesus, to present unto Thy heavenly Father this 
same sacrifice, together with my poor prayers, and the 
intercession of the saints whom I invoked, in order that, 
by the virtue and efficacy of the same, the soul specially 
commended to Thee, and all other suffering souls, may 
by Thy powerful assistance experience an alleviation of 
their pains. Amen. 

AT THE INTROIT. 

Take your stand in imagination before the tnrone of 
the Holy Trinity, in the company of the souls of the de- 
parted, and offer to the three Persons of the Godhead 
the following prayers: 



402 Fourth Method of Hearing Mass, 

PRAYER TO GOD THE FATHER. 

O Father of compassion and God of all consolation, 
show mercy to those who are now in purgatory, that 
place of sadness and of desolation. Behold, O merciful 
Father, the souls who are suffering there; they were cre- 
ated by Thee to Thy likeness. It is to wipe out the debt 
they have incurred by their sins that Thy beloved Son 
presents to Thee the precious blood, infinite in value, 
v/hich flowed from His sacred wounds. Vouchsafe to 
accept it propitiously, and of Thy great clemency take 
pity on the suffering souls, more especially the one for 
whom I pray. 

PRAYER TO GOD THE SON. 

O Jesus, the source of all bounty and compassion, how 
canst Thou, in the sacrament of Thy love, bear the sight 
of these suffering and forsaken souls any longer ? Most 
tender-hearted Jesus, remember that these are the very 
souls for whom Thou didst become man, for whom Thou 
didst endure such grievous pains for whom Thou wast 
immolated upon the cross. Jesus, Lover of souls, grant 
that Thy cross and passion may afford speedy relief to 
the soul of NN., and all others who are yet suffering in 
the place of expiation. Amen. 

PRAYER TO GOD THE HOLY GHOST. 

Holy Spirit, God of love and of consolation, how 
countless are the souls that are tormented in the fires of 
purgatory ! O Father of the afflicted, listen, I pray Thee, 
to the bitter groans and sighs of these unhappy souls, and 
help them in their dire distress. O Holy Spirit, Who art 
of all comforters the best, sweet help of souls, these souls 
for whom I pray are Thine through baptism, they are 
espoused to Thee by faith and love, they are inheritors 
of the kingdom of heaven. Wherefore refresh them with 



hi Behalf of the Poor Souls. 403 

but one drop of heavenly dew, open the doors of their 
prison, conduct them to Thy throne above, and bestow- 
on them the crown of glory. Amen. 

AT THE EPISTLE. 

Call upon the blessed Mother of God, the holy angels- 
guardian, and the saints to unite their intercession to 
your petitions. 

O Mary, Mother of mercy, hear the cries which the 
souls of thy departed servants, for whom thy dear Son 
paid so high a price, even His precious blood, send up to 
thee from the prison wherein they groan. O Mary, 
most afflicted Mother, behold their tears, listen to their 
sighs, and plead for them with thy divine Son, Who re- 
fuses no request that thou dost proffer. Show to them, 
thy unhappy children, Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy 
womb. O clement, O kind, O sweet Virgin Mary ! 
Amen. 

Holy angels-guardian, whose office it is to further the 
salvation of mankind, look upon the souls whom God 
committed to your charge. Innumerable are the groans, 
the petitions, they send up to you in heaven. How 
ardently they long to be with you there ! Implore 
Almighty God to grant them the remission of the punish- 
ment still due to them; console them, encourage them, 
refresh them, and finally conduct them to everlasting 
joys. Amen. 

O you, the blessed in heaven, who are the chosen 
friends of God, behold with tender compassion the pains 
which the souls of your brethren and sisters in Jesus 
Christ are now enduring. They are entitled to a place 
by your side in the kingdom of heaven. Present your- 
selves before the throne of the Triune God; once more 
offer Him your good works, your sufferings, your death, 
in union with the passion and death of Christ; raise 



404 Fourth Method of Hearing Mass, 

your voice in importunate entreaty, until, through your 
intercession, they are released from the fiery prison, and 
admitted to be your companions in heaven. Amen. 

AT THE OFFERTORY. 

Betake yourself to Calvary, and there remind the 
Eternal Father of all that Jesus suffered for the holy 
souls. 

Accept, O heavenly Father, this sacred oblation of 
bread and wine which the priest makes upon the altar for 
Thy glory and for the profit of all faithful Christians, 
living and dead. I offer it to Thee for the souls of NN. 
and all others yet captive in the cleansing flames. 
I place in spirit upon the altar all the torments, the 
anguish they endure; their sighs and tears, their wailing 
and lamentation, their anxious longing to be in heaven, 
in order that, united to the merits, the passion, the pre- 
cious blood of Christ, they may be a sacrifice of propiti- 
ation before Thee. 

Be mindful, O merciful father, that Thy only-begotten 
Son vouchsafed to endure cruel torments and the igno- 
minious death of the cross, and take pity on the souls 
for whom I now pray, as well as all who are suffering in 
purgatory, especially those who are nearest to the time of 
their deliverance. 

Behold, O compassionate Father, His head crowned 
with thorns, His pallid countenance, His eyes glazed in 
death, His features covered with blood, and take pity on 
those unhappy souls of whose sufferings I have been the 
cause. 

Behold, O loving Father, His arms extended wide, 
His hands and feet transfixed with cruel nails, His side, 
His sacred Heart pierced by a lance, and take pity on the 
suffering souls who are the most grievously tormented in 
the flames of purgatory. 



In Behalf of the Poor Souls, 405 

Behold, O merciful Father, how the whole of His 
sacred body is torn and mangled from head to foot; every 
limb is tortured, every drop of blood is drawn from His 
veins; and take pity on the poor souls who have yet to 
suffer for the longest period of time. 

Behold, O kind Father, what agony of body, what an- 
guish of soul Thy most innocent Son endured; how, in 
addition, He was reviled, mocked, calumniated, and 
finally forsaken by heaven and earth, by angels and men; 
nay, even by Thee His Father, and take pity on the hap- 
less souls who have none to succor them. 

Look upon this. Almighty Father, and remember at 
the same time the intolerable torments and pains which 
the suffering souls bear with perfect submission to Thy 
holy will, uniting them in intention to the obedience and 
charity of Thy divine Son, and offering them to Thee 
with the heartfelt and fervent entreaty that Thou wouldst 
grant them grace and mercy and release them from their 
present misery. Amen. 

AT THE CONSECRATION. 

Implore Jesus, by the shedding of His precious blood, 
to send help to the holy souls. 

AT THE ELEVATION OF THE SACRED HOST. 

Jesus, my God and Saviour, I firmly believe that Thou 
art here present upon the altar in the consecrated Host, 
with Thy divinity and humanity, Thy soul and body, 
Thy flesh and blood. I adore this sacred blood which 
Thou hast shed to the last drop for our salvation; and I 
beseech Thee to apply it to the souls in purgatory as 
their all-sufficient ransom. 

AT THE ELEVATION OF THE CHALICE. 

O my sweet Saviour, again I bow down to venerate 
Thy precious blood now cQUtaineiJ in that chaUce.. A, 



4o6 Fourth Method of Hearing Mass. 

single drop of that divine blood would suffice to extin- 
guish the flames of the purgatorial fire. Wherefore, O 
tender-hearted Jesus, make the suffering souls feel the 
all-prevailing power of that adorable blood and set the 
unhappy captives free. Amen. 

AFTER THE CONSECRATION. 

All hail, sacred blood of my Redeemer ! This blood 
here present is none other than the blood which flowed 
to the ground on the Mount of Olives, wrung from every 
pore in the Saviour's body during His death-agony. By 
Thy sweat of blood, O Jesus, let Thy blood be for the 
cleansing of the souls of the departed. 

It is the same blood as that which flowed from the 
Saviour's mangled body during the cruel scourging in the 
court of Pilate's house. Oh, how precious is that blood ! 
Jesus, covered with innumerable wounds, offer, we pray 
Thee, but one drop of that all-prevailing blood to Thy 
heavenly Father, to make satisfaction for the debt the 
holy souls still owe to His justice. 

It is the same blood as that which was drawn froni 
the sacred head of the Saviour when the crown of 
thorns pierced His aching brow. Jesus, my sovereign 
Lord and King, give, we pray Thee, but one drop of 
that precious blood to each one of the suffering souls, as 
the price wherewith they may purchase heaven. 

It is the same blood as that which was shed from the 
transfixed hands and the riven side of the crucified 
Saviour. O dearest Jesus, let the sacred stream that 
issued from Thy wounds be poured upon the devouring 
.flames to quench their glowing heat, to set free the souls 
thus tortured, and gain for them admittance to the realms 
of eternal bliss. Amen, 



In Behalf of the Poor Souls, 407 

AT THE COMMUNION. 

Commend the holy souls to Jesus for the sake of His 
five sacred wounds. 

O my crucified Jesus, I adore and humbly venerate 
the wound of Thy right hand, and in virtue of it I com- 
mend to Thee the souls of my departed parents, rela- 
tives, benefactors, friends, and enemies. For the sake of 
the blood that flowed from that wound, and the pain 
that it caused Thee, have compassion upon them, and 
gladden them by a sign of Thy favor. 

O most benign Jesus, I adore and devoutly venerate 
the wound of Thy left hand and in virtue of it I commend 
to Thee those souls who are in the greatest need of as- 
sistance. For the sake of the blood that flowed from 
that wound, and the pain that it caused Thee, extend 
Thy hand in clemency towards these souls, and deliver 
them from their prolonged agony. 

O most charitable Jesus, I adore and profoundly ven- 
erate the wound of Thy right foot, and in virtue of it I 
commend to Thee the souls for whom it is Thy will that 
I should pray. For the sake of the blood that flowed 
from that wound, and the pain it caused Thee, grant 
that they may soon hear Thy lips utter those happy 
words: " This day you shall be with Me in paradise." 

O most bounteous Jesus, I adore and venerate with 
all the fervor of my soul the wound of Thy left foot, and 
by virtue of it I commend to Thee the souls who had 
the greatest devotion to Thy passion, and to the dolors 
of Thy sorrowing Mother. For the sake of the blood 
that flowed from that wound, and the pain it caused 
Thee, show Thy liberality by remitting the punishment 
yet due to them. 

O most merciful Jesus, I adore and venerate with all 
my heart the sacred wound of Thy side, and in virtue of 



4o8 Fourth Method of Hearing Mass, 

it I commend to Thee the souls for whose intention I 
assist at this Mass. For the sake of the water and the 
blood that flowed from that wound, and the terrible 
agony which Thou didst endure for three hours upon the 
cross, vouchsafe in answer to the prayers of Thy sorrow- 
ful Mother to extinguish the flames wherein they are tor- 
mented, and take them, together with those who suffer 
with them, to the never-ending joys of Thy presence. 
Amen. 

AFTER THE COMMUNION. 

Commend the holy souls to the Heart of Jesus, open to 
receive them, and implore Him to admit them into the 
kingdom of heaven. 

O most sweet Jesus, Who for love of us didst not 
merely give Thyself to us in the sacrament of Thy love, 
thereby to unite our heart most intimately with Thine, 
but after Thy death didst cause it to be opened, that it 
might be to all faithful Christians a gate through which 
they pass to their celestial country: I beseech Thee, by 
the boundless charity of Thy pierced heart, Thou wouldst 
open wide these heavenly portals to the suffering souls, 
to give them admittance into Thy kingdom. 

Listen, O gentle Jesus, to the voice that ascends to 
Thee from the prison-house of fire where these holy 
souls are confined; listen to their constant cry: ** Open 
to us, O Lord, open to us Thy heart ! From the depths 
of our misery, from this fiery furnace, we cry to Thee, 
merciful Jesus; hear our petitions, incline Thine ear to 
the voice of our supplication; for with Thee is propitia- 
tion, with Thee alone is plenteous redemption ! " 

Wherefore, O good Jesus, we beseech Thee, let not 
Thy heart, which bears the wound of love, be any longer 
closed against these unhappy supplicants. By the anguish 
and distress, the desolation and faintness which Thy 



De Profundi's, 409 

sacred Heart experienced during the time of Thy passion, 
and especially upon the cross; by the seven dolors of 
Mary's sorrowing heart, — the heart on which, when taken 
down from the cross, Thy lifeless body rested, — vouch- 
safe, we pray Thee, to open this gate of salvation. Thy 
adorable Heart, to all the faithful departed who are yet 
detained amid the cleansing flames. 

May their souls, and above all the souls for whom my 
suffrages are now offered, enter through that gate into 
the heavenly city. And through their intercession on my 
behalf may I obtain the grace to live piously, die hap- 
pily, and after death be speedily released from purgatory, 
that I too may pass through that golden portal, Thy 
pierced heart, unto the abode of eternal felicity. Amen. 



PS. CXXIX.: DE PROFUNDIS. 

Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, 
hear my voice. 

Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my suppli- 
cation. 

If Thou, O Lord, shalt mark our iniquities: O Lord, 
who shall stand it ? 

For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by 
reason of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. 

My soul hath relied on His word: my soul hath hoped 
in the Lord. 

From the morning watch even until night, let Israel 
hope in the Lord. 

Because with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him 
plenteous redemption. 

And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. 

V. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord. 

^, And perpetual light shine upon them. 



4IO Devotions for Confession, 

[50 days' indulgence, three times daily, for the psalm 
and versicle. 

Plenary indulgence, once a year. — Leo XIII., Feb. 2, 
1888.] 



DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION, 
Preparation. 



PRAYER FOR THE GRACE OF TRUE REPENTANCE. 
(ST. FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN.) 

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who dost graciously receive 
those who truly sorrow for sin, grant me by Thy grace 
that for love of Thee, and with a good intention, I may 
feel profound contrition of heart. Awaken within me a 
pure and fervent desire to increase in love to Thee, 
which is the foundation and source of true compunc- 
tion. Enlighten my understanding, that I may consider 
and understand how hateful sin is in Thy sight. Assist 
my memory, that I may see how often I have offended 
against Thee, and the circumstances that have aggravated 
my offences. Fill me with an abhorrence of every sin, stir 
my inmost soul, that I may feel the deepest sorrow and 
repentance for my misdeeds. Take from me all pride of 
heart, and dispose me to piety and devotion. Grant 
that I may lift my eyes to Thy majesty with love and 
thankfulness, on account of Thy exceeding great charity 
towards us, and Thy unswerving faithfulness. And, thus 
meditating, may I be impelled to love Thee above all 
things to adore Thee, to endeavor to please Thee and to 
§erve The^ as Thou dQst commaiid, Make pif con- 



Devotions for Confession, 411 

scious of my own nothingness, the infidelities of which I 
have been guilty, my ingratitude and injustice in Thy 
sight, so that I may learn to despise myself, and strive 
earnestly to make due reparation to Thee. 

Help me, O my God, to make a firm resolution by 
Thy grace to avoid these faults in future, and rather to 
die than to offend against Thee with deliberation and 
forethought. Enable me, O Jesus, to make reparation 
to Thee for the affronts I have put upon Thee, and 
grant that henceforth I may glorify Thee as much by my 
pious conduct as I have hitherto dishonored Thee by 
my transgressions. 

PRAYER TO THE HOLY GHOST FOR LIGHT. (ST. PETER 

DAMIAN.) 

O Holy Ghost, God Almighty, one with the Father and 
the Son, and proceeding from both in an ineffable man- 
ner, vouchsafe to descend into my heart, and by Thy 
marvellous power dispel the darkness that still reigns 
there through my evil nature, so that I may discern the 
works that it produces, that I may bewail them deeply, 
and confess them humbly. 

Come down. Eternal Lord and Life-giver, and with the 
fire of Thy charity melt the ice that is in my breast. 
Soften my stony heart; fill me with sorrow and repent- 
ance, that I may deplore my sins with abundant tears. 
Woe is me, miserable sinner that I am; how many sins I 
daily commit for which I ought to weep, and yet not a 
tear do I shed for them ! Let the dew of Thy grace 
distil upon me from above, that my soul, which is dry 
and parched through having wandered far from the fount 
of life, may awake to new life under Thy vivifying in- 
fluence. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready. 
Behold, all th? secrets of my soul ^re open before Thee : 



412 Devotions for Confession, 

and with longing desire I await the time until ThoL* con- 
descend to visit me. 

[Here examine your conscience.] 

ACT OF CONTRITION. (ST. BERNARD.) 

I believe, O Lord, that Thou art my God and my 
Lord; I know it, and acknowledge it. In many and great 
things I have offended against Thy majesty; my sins are 
multiplied in number above the sand of the seashore — to 
this, alas ! my unholy life bears only too sure testimony. 
But I take refuge in Thy mercy; I repent and am ex- 
ceedingly sorry for all that I have done amiss; above all, 
because I have displeased Thee, the most holy God, by 
my sins, and defiled my soul, which was made after Thy 
image. Forgive me, forgive me all my transgressions; I 
will amend my life; I am fully resolved never again to 
swerve from the way of Thy commandments. Cast me 
not away, I humbly beseech Thee, for I know that I can 
find a refuge nowhere but with Thee, Whom I love above 
all things. Cast me not away because of my iniquities, 
but chastise me according to the multitude of Thy tender 
mercies. This I earnestly implore and confidently ask 
of Thy eternal loving-kindness. Amen. 

RESOLUTION OF AMENDMENT. (sT. FRANCIS DE SALES.) 

O Lord my God, never again will I, with the help of 
Thy grace, wander again in the paths of sin. I have 
loved them too well, but now I abhor them, and turn to 
Thee, O Father of mercy. To Thee alone will I live and 
die. In order to blot out my past iniquities I wall ac- 
cuse myself of them fearlessly, and tear them out of my 
soul even to the last and least. I will spare no effort, 
but strive to the utmost of my power to eradicate every 
fibre, especially of those sins which have the most power 
over rne. And for this end J will employ every means oif 



Devotions for Confession, 4M 

grace, according to the counsels given me, nor will I ever 
allow myself to think that I have done enough in repara- 
tion of my grievous misdeeds. 

PRAYER BEFORE CONFESSION. (ST. FRANCES CHANTAL.) 

O my God, Most Holy Trinity ! I have sinned before 
Thee. Once more I desire to express my sincere contri- 
tion for all my transgressions; I weep for them with all 
my heart, from love to Thee, Who art the supreme Good, 
perfect in holiness. O my God, pour the oil of Thy com- 
passion plenteously upon my wounds, that I may recover 
from my hurt. Thou art, and ever will be, my only 
hope; heal and restore me, O Lord, with the assistance of 
Thy grace. Guided by Thy spirit, I will henceforth en- 
deavor to amend 'my ways, and serve Thee beneath the 
standard of the cross unto my life's end, that I may thus 
merit finally to praise and magnify Thee throughout 
eternity. 

O Mary, my dearest mother, help me to observe and 
accomplish rightly all that thy divine Son has appointed 
for the forgiveness of sin. 

After Confession. 

prayer to god the father. 

How great is Thy goodness towards me, my God and 
my Father ! Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thou 
hast given me absolution of my sins, by the voice of the 
priest who is Thy representative. I now dare to hope 
that I may again be regarded as Thy well-beloved child. 
All thanks, praise, and glory be to Thee, Father of 
mercy, for this great grace, which I have deserved so lit- 
tle. I will not be forgetful of what Thou hast done for 
me, and I will keep strict watch over myself, that I may 
not fall into the same sins again. Give Thy blessing to 



414 Devotions for Confession, 

this my resolution, O Lord, and grant me strength to 
keep it faithfully until death. I ask this for the sake of 
the blood Christ shed for me, and through the merits of 
Mary, the Mother of grace, and the intercession of all 
the saints. Amen. 

PRAYER TO GOD THE SON. 

How great are the thanks I owe to Thee, my dear 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ! I venture with all con- 
fidence to hope that, through the merits of Thy most 
precious blood, I have obtained the pardon of my sins. 
I thank Thee from the bottom of my heart, and I trust 
that it may be granted me to praise Thy mercy forever in 
heaven. Although I have hitherto offended Thee so 
often, for the future I will do so no more. I am stead- 
fastly resolved thoroughly to amend my life. Thou art 
alone worthy of my love, therefore I will love Thee above 
all things, and never separate myself from Thee by sin. 
I now ratify all my former promises ; rather will I die 
than offend against Thee by mortal sin. But Thou, O 
Jesus, knowest my frailty ; give me grace to be faithful 
to Thee until death, and in the hour of temptation let me 
have recourse to Thy assistance. 

PRAYER TO GOD THE HOLY GHOST. 

Holy and divine Spirit, I believe that Thou art true 
God, one God with the Father and the Son. I adore 
Thee, I acknowledge Thee as the author of all the light 
whereby I have to-day been enabled to see how grievous 
a wrong I have committed in offending Thee, and how 
great is the obligation I am under to love Thee. I thank 
Thee for thus enlightening me, and again I declare how 
deeply I regret all that I have done amiss in Thy sight. 
If I had been dealt with as I deserved, I should have 
been thrust out into exterior darkness ; but Thou hast 



Devotions for Confession, 415 

shown me by Thy forbearance that Thou dost not yet 
regard me as a reprobate. Enlighten me further^ O 
blessed Spirit ! Make me more and more sensible of 
Thy infinite goodness, and give me good dispositions to 
love Thee henceforth with my whole heart. Pour out 
upon me the plenitude of Thy grace, that, taken captive 
by it, I may be constrained to love Thee, and Thee alone. 
I ask these blessings in the name of Jesus Christ and by 
His merits. Henceforth I will belong wholly to Thee, 
Whom I love as the supreme Good, the God of my heart; 
receive this gift that I make of myself, and let me never 
fall away from Thy love. Amen. 

CONCLUDING PRAYER. 

Graciously receive, O sacred Heart of Jesus, my con- 
fession and my penance, poor and imperfect though they 
are ; and through Thy perfect charity supply, I pray 
Thee, all that is lacking to the depth of my contrition, 
and the sincerity of my desire to do penance. 

O Mary, immaculate Mother of our Redeemer ! On 
thee God has ever looked with complacency ; to thy 
maternal care I commend the devotions I have just per- 
formed, beseeching thee to unite them to the infinite 
merits of the Passion of thy dear Son, and thus offer 
them as an oblation to the God and Father of mercies. 
Obtain for me the grace to bring forth worthy fruits of 
penance, that I may ever walk in the way of God's com- 
mandments, so as to please Him, to edify my neighbor, 
and work out my own salvation. 

May the blessing of the Triune God, Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, be upon me and remain with me : Amen. 
May His grace ever live and work in me; may the protec- 
tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary ever be my shield; may 
my holy angel guardian, to whose care I am committed, 
be with me and watch over me unto rny life's end ! Amen. 



4i6 Devotions for Communion. 



DEVOTIONS FOR COMMUNION. 

Before Communion. 

acts of faith, hope, and charity. (st. alphonsus.) 

O dearest Jesus, Son of the most high God, Who for 
love of me didst suffer death upon the cross, over- 
whelmed with anguish and with the contempt of men, 
I believe that Thou art here present in the Adorable 
Sacrament of the Altar, and I am ready to lay down my 
life in defence of this truth. O most loving Saviour, I 
hope that of Thy bounty, for the sake of the merits of 
that precious blood shed for me this day upon the altar, 
Thou wilt come to visit me, to inflame my heart with the 
fire of Thy love, and to give me the grace I need to con- 
tinue Thy faithful and obedient servant unto my life's 
end. 

My God, only true lover of my soul, what couldst 
Thou have done which Thou hast not done to compel 
me to love Thee ? Not satisfied with dying for me, O 
Jesus, Thou hast vouchsafed, in addition, to institute this 
holy sacrament to be my spiritual food, that Thou mayst 
hereby give Thyself wholly to me, and unite Thyself as 
closely as possible with me, miserable and ungrateful as 
I am. Thou dost Thyself invite me to approach and 
receive Thee, and Thou desirest ardently that I should 
be united to Thee. 

O charity inconceivable, that a God should give Him- 
self wholly unto me ! O my God, supreme and infinite 
Good, worthy of a love infinite as Thine own, I love Thee 
above all things, I love Thee with my whole heart, I love 



Devotions for Communion, 417 

Thee more than my life, I love Thee because Thou art 
alone worthy of my love, I love Thee because Thou de- 
sirest that I should love Thee with all my powers. Away 
from me, then, all affections that savor of earth; all the 
love of my heart shall be given to Jesus. To-day He is 
going to give me Himself; I, on my part, will give Him 
my whole self. Permit me to love Thee, O Jesus; I de- 
sire nothing buit to possess Thee; I will do nothing but 
what will please Thee. I love Thee, my Saviour, and I 
unite my feeble love to the love which the angels and 
saints feel for Thee, to the love of Mary, Thy blessed 
Mother, to the love of God, Thy Eternal Father. Would 
that all men loved Thee ! Would that I could induce 
all the world to love Thee, to love Thee as Thou de- 
servest ! 

ACT OF HUMILITY. (sT. ALPHONSUS.) 

Behold, O Jesus, I come to Thee in order that my 
soul may feed upon Thy sacred body. But what art 
Thou, O my God, and what am I ? Thou art a God of 
infinite goodness, and I am a miserable worm, laden with 
innumerable sins, whereby I have again and again sepa- 
rated myself from Thee. I am not worthy, O my God, to 
enter Thy presence; I deserve to be banished to hell, and 
there, far from Thee, forsaken by Thee, to burn to all 
eternity. But Thou, Who art infinite in mercy, dost bid 
me come to Thee that I may receive Thee into my heart. 

Behold, O Lord, I come, humble and ashamed on ac- 
count of the manifold offences which I have committed 
against Thee, and yet full of confidence in Thy mercy 
and Thy love. How bitterly I grieve, O sweet Saviour, 
for having so often sinned against Thee. Thou hast 
made the sacrifice of Thy life for me, and I have aban- 
doned Thee for what is worthless; again and again I 
have outraged Thy grace and Thy love. I sorrow most 



41 8 Devotions for Communion, 

deeply for the transgressions against Thee, both great and 
small, of which I have been guilty; they are the greatest 
of all evils, because they have displeased Thee, O infinite 
goodness, and I abhor them from the bottom of my 
heart. I venture to hope that Thou hast pardoned them; 
but if I am mistaken, I implore Thee, O Jesus, forgive 
me now, before I receive Thee into my heart. Let me 
at any rate be in a state of grace when Thou comest to 
dwell within my breast. 

ACT OF DESIRE. (ST. ALPHONSUS.) 

Come, Lord Jesus, come unto the heart which is 
ardently longing to receive Thee. Thou art my only, my 
supreme good, my love, my life, my all in all. I desire 
to receive Thee this morning with the love of those saints 
who were most inflamed with love to Thee; I desire to 
receive Thee as Thy blessed Mother received Thee; I 
desire to unite my communion with her communions. O 
Mary, ever-blessed Virgin, my dearest Mother, do thou 
give Thy Son to me. Let me receive Him from thy 
hand. Tell Him that I am thy faithful servant, and 
then, when He vouchsafes to come .to me. He will em- 
brace me with greater tenderness and affection. 

Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under 
my roof; say but the word and my soul shall be healed. 
[Three times.] 

May the body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my 
soul unto life everlasting. Amen. 

After CommunioNc 

act of faith. (st. francis of assist.) 

Thou didst behold me, O my God, standing in Thy 
presence as a beggar at the gate of the rich man, and 
Thou didst bestow on me the treasures of Thy grace. 



Devotio7is for Commtmzon, 419 

Thou gavest me Thy precious body and blood, like a 
robe of charity, to cover my nakedness and my shame. 
I stood before Thee as a slave in the presence of his 
master; Thou gavest me my liberty, that I might be free 
to love Thee. I stood before Thee a wretched sinner; 
Thou hast pardoned my sins, and blotted them out with 
Thine own blood. Now I stand before Thee as a friend, 
face to face with his friend; I desire to be so united to 
Thee in charity that I may never swerve from Thy side. 
I stand before Thee as a child before his father, humbly 
asking that I may one day enter upon the inheritance of 
which I am the heir. Amen. 

ACT OF ADORATION, (ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.) 

How can I ever sufficiently praise and magnify Thee, 
my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who of Thy sovereign 
condescension hast at this time come to abide in so 
humble a dwelling-place as this poor heart of mine! Thou 
art here present within my breast in Thy Godhead and 
Thy humanity, Thy body and soul, Thy flesh and blood. 
I truly possess Thee, Who art my Lord and my God, my 
Redeemer and my Sanctifier, my chief aim and final end, 
my only consolation and sure repose, all that I hope for, 
all that I desire. 

I adore Thee, most loving Jesus, good shepherd of my 
soul ! Thy sublimity and majesty fill me with awe whilst 
I rejoice in the tenderness of Thy mercy, and from the 
abyss of my own nothingness I worship Thee in all humil- 
ity. I adore Thy sacred body and blood, which Thou 
hast given to be to me the bread of life, the pledge of in- 
timate union with Thee. I adore Thy sacred head, for 
my sake crowned with thorns; I adore Thy sacred eyes, 
which shed so many tears for me; Thy sacred lips, by 
which I have been taught the way of truth; Thy sacred 
countenance, disfigured with rude blows; Thy sacred feet. 



420 Devotions for Communion, 

pierced by cruel nails and fastened to the tree of shame; 
Thy sacred arms, extended wide in the loving desire to 
clasp me in their embrace; Thy sacred side, riven by the 
soldier's lance, that out of it might flow the water and 
the blood that are the witnesses to our redemption. I 
adore the exceeding charity of Thy tender heart, which 
loved me unto death, even the ignominious death of the 
cross. I adore Thy most holy body, O my Lord and 
Saviour, torn with countless wounds, enduring unspeak- 
able torments, for my salvation; I adore Thy most sacred 
soul, troubled and sorrowful unto death in the Garden of 
Olives that I might attain to eternal life. 

I worship Thee, O my Jesus, with holy reverence; I 
will cleave to Thee faithfully, with loyal and loving 
adoration, all my life long, and will call upon Thee in the 
hour of death. Grant Thy blessing to the resolutions I 
have made, that I may stand firm when the evil one 
assails me with a storm of temptation. 

ACT OF THANKSGIVING. (ST. THOMAS OF AQUIN.) 

I give Thee thanks, O Lord, heavenly Father, al- 
mighty, eternal God, that Thou hast vouchsafed, for no 
merit of my own, but for the mere condescension of Thy 
mercy, to satisfy me, a sinner, and Thine unworthy ser- 
vant, with the precious body and blood of Thy Son, Our 
Saviour Jesus Christ. I implore Thee, let not this holy 
communion be to me an increase of guilt unto my pun- 
ishment, but an availing plea unto pardon and forgive- 
ness. Let it be to me the armor of faith and shield of 
good-will; grant that it may work the extinction of my 
vices, the rooting out of concupiscence and lust, and the 
increase within me of charity and patience, of humility 
and obedience. Let it be my strong defence against the 
snares of my enemies, visible and invisible; the stilling 
and calm of my impulses, carnal and spiritual ; my in- 



Devotions for Communion, 421 

dissoluble union with Thee, the one and true God, and a 
blessed consummation at my last end. 

And I beseech Thee that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to 
bring me, sinner as I am, to that ineffable banquet where 
Thou, with the Son and the Holy Ghost, art to Thy 
saints true and unfailing light, fulness of content, joy for- 
evermore, gladness without alloy, consummate and ever- 
lasting bliss. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. 

PETITION. (sT. BONAVENTURE.) . 

Wound my inmost heart, O dearest Lord Jesus, with 
the blissful and salutary wound of Thy love, that true, 
pure, and most holy love, which causes my soul to glow 
and be consumed with ardent longing to possess Thee. 
Grant that my soul may evermore hunger for Thee, Thou 
bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily, 
supersubstantial bread, containing in itself all sweetness, 
all savor, all that is delightful and attractive. 

For Thee, on Whom the angels desire to look, my soul 
continually yearns, and my inmost being longs to be 
satisfied with the blissful enjoyment of Thy presence. 
Henceforth my soul thirsts for Thee alone, Who art the 
source of life, the fount of wisdom and knowledge, the 
well-spring of eternal brightness, the river of joy, the 
fulness of the riches of the dwelling-place of the Most 
High. For Thee I long, for Thee I sigh, after Thee 
alone I seek, that, finding Thee, I may draw nigh to Thee, 
gaze upon Thee, converse with Thee and of Thee. May 
every thought and action of my soul be to the praise and 
glory of Thy holy name, in all humility and submission, 
love and gladness, zeal and fervor, and steadfast endur- 
ance unto the end. 

Be Thou, O Jesus, henceforth and for evermore my 
hope and my trust, my joy and rejoicing, my sovereign 
treasure; in Thee is my rest and support, my peace and 



422 Prayers to Obtain a Plenary Indulgence, 

refreshment, my meat and my drink, my sweetness and 
consolation, my sure refuge, my ready help, my real wis- 
dom, my true riches, my unfailing inheritance, my portion 
to all eternity. Amen. 

CONCLUDING PRAYER. 

Pour forth Thy blessing, O Lord, upon Thy holy 
Church; upon our Holy Father the Pope, our bishop, 
and all our clergy; upon our country; upon those who 
are in authority, either ecclesiastical or civil; upon our 
parents or children, our relatives, friends, benefactors, and 
enemies. Comfort the sick, the poor, the dying; give 
the grace of conversion to sinners, heretics, unbelievers, 
apostates. 

Remember in Thy mercy the souls who are suffering 
in purgatory, and grant them eternal rest. Deliver those 
who long to be released, and admit them to everlasting 
felicity. Amen. 



PRAYERS TO OBTAIN A PLENARY INDULGENCE. 
I. FOR THE EXALTATION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. 

O most gracious Lord Jesus Christ ! Thou didst 
choose the holy Catholic Church as Thy bride, and for 
the great love wherewith Thou lovedst her Thou didst 
lay down Thy life for her; for her Thou didst shed Thy 
precious blood. In union with all faithful children of 
the Church, I beseech Thee to take her under Thy 
special protection; shield her from the assaults of the 
powers of hell, maintain her in unity, enrich her with 
graces and heavenly benedictions, cause her to shine 
with the light of holiness, extend her, exalt her, and, 



Prayers to Obtain a Plenary Indulgeiice. 423 

make all orthodox Christians to do Thy holy will, and 
serve Thee faithfully until they arrive at everlasting joys. 
Our Father and Hail Mary twice. 

2. FOR THE CONVERSION OF UNBELIEVERS, HERETICS, 

AND SINNERS. 

Most compassionate Jesus, source of all goodness and 
mercy, God of all consolation, Who wiliest that all men, 
even those outside the fold of Thy Church, should be 
saved; Who desirest not the death of the sinner, but 
that he should be converted and live: I beseech Thee to 
cause the marvellous light of the Catholic faith, in which 
alone is salvation, to arise upon all pagans, Mohamme- 
dans, Jews, and heretics, that they may be brought to 
know Thee, to love Thee, and to serve Thee. Look with 
compassion upon all sinners, who have lost Thy sanctify- 
ing grace, and give them true conversion of heart. Re- 
member, O my crucified Lord, that for them Thou didst 
endure the death of the cross, for them Thou didst shed 
Thy precious blood. Let not the infinite merits of Thy 
passion and death be unavailing for them. Let them 
not be banished to the regions of despair, w^here Thy 
name is continually blasphemed and cursed. O most 
merciful Jesus, soften their hard hearts by the wondrous 
power of Thy cross, that they may willingly take upon 
themselves Thy sweet yoke, and may learn to believe in 
Thee, to hope in Thee, to love Thee for evermore. 
Amen. 

Our Father and Hail Mary twice. 

3. FOR CONCORD AMONGST CHRISTIAN PRINCES. 

O my crucified Saviour, Who hast reconciled heaven 
with earth and God with man, behold how frequently 



424 Prayers to Obtain a Plenary Indulgence. 

the blood of Christian people is shed in devastating wars ! 
Hear how that blood cries to Thee from the ground: 
Have pity, have pity, O most compassionate Jesus ! I 
implore Thee, O blessed Prince of peace, for the sake of 
Thy precious blood, the price of our reconciliation, and 
for the sake of Thy five most sacred wounds, make all 
Christian princes and governors to be of one mind; 
unite them by a bond of mutual charity, and grant to us 
an inviolable peace, in order that we may be able to 
devote ourselves more freely and fully to Thy service. 
Hear and answer our petitions, O God of clemency, and 
we will extol Thy mercy to all eternity. Amen. 
Our Father and Hail Mary twice. 

4. AN OFFERING OF THE INDULGENCE FOR THE 
SOULS IN PURGATORY. 

I beseech Thee, O Jesus, my God and Saviour, by 
Thy infinite bounty and loving-kindness, to apply the 
prayers I now offer and the plenary indulgence attached 
to them, to the soul of NN., that it may be to his profit, 
and that he, being thereby delivered from the pains of 
purgatory, may fervently love Thee, and may laud and 
magnify Thee before the throne of Thy majesty. Grant 
also that the soul for whom I pray may obtain for me 
the special grace I need, and plead for me, that I may 
be permitted to expiate my sins in this life, and, after a 
happy death, may be admitted to the company of the 
blessed in heaven. Amen. 



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net, 





75 


net. 





60 


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60 


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40 


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60 


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60 







25 







25 



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